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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28082202">Reality</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/aspiringparasyte/pseuds/aspiringparasyte'>aspiringparasyte</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 18:56:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>23,467</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28082202</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/aspiringparasyte/pseuds/aspiringparasyte</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>What do you do when your home is gone, and your friends and family are missing? Meet Sora, a die-hard Disney fan who has to figure that out. A modern AU for the events of KH1.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Broken Dreams</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi everyone, thanks for clicking! Just wanted you know that while this IS meant to be a parallel to the events of KH1, there will be a couple artistic liberties, for the sake of the story later.<br/>Enjoy! :D</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tonight was the night, and everything had to be perfect.</p><p>He fiddled with the last spike in front of his eyes one more time, before finally releasing his hair and admiring it in the mirror. He’d been tweaking this new hairdo for the last two months, and he finally deemed it perfect. Some people teased him for his spikey style, but he thought he looked cool and action-y, like a shonen hero. He even had the light hair and big blue eyes! Maybe if he ever cosplayed, it would be a benefit from his mixed-race heritage to not need contacts.</p><p>And most importantly, the hairdo hid his ridiculous monkey ears and made him look just a little bit taller.</p><p>Look, at 160 cm, he needed all the help he could get.</p><p>He adjusted his basketball jersey and fiddled with the white tee under it. With his beige cargo shorts, he dubbed his outfit perfect. Cool, but casual, not looking like he was trying too hard. He picked up the little palm-sized silver box on the counter and looked it over, happy excited butterflies in his stomach. He already knew she’d love it- he knew her practically like he knew himself. She was the Jasmine to his Aladdin, the Meg to his Herc, the <em>Belle</em> to <em>his-!</em></p><p>Ok wait, maybe not the Beast. Sora liked to think he was a <em>little</em> better behaved than that.</p><p>Anyway, she was perfect for him, and now he’d just have to be perfect for her. Easier said than done.</p><p>He wished he could talk to Riku about all this, but ever since his friend stopped talking to them last year, Sora hadn’t had the chance to tell him about any of this planning. Which, in retrospect, was probably a good thing, because when he <em>had</em> admitted his crush to him, Riku had teased him relentlessly about it. Still, if Sora had his way, he’d march up and pound on his door to demand an explanation for his sudden silence. He could at <em>least</em> email, right?!</p><p>But unfortunately, the Caucasian boy’s father was United States Marines, which was the only reason the family was in Japan in the first place. And deployment couldn’t last forever, so they had returned to the US several years ago. Riku was fine with it, eager to get off the small island and go to the Land of Opportunity. But it left Sora with one best friend instead of two, and now he was a little lonely.</p><p>That probably meant Tidus would be leaving them soon too… that was depressing.</p><p>But either way, hopefully now that Sora and Kairi were almost sixteen, they’d soon be <em>more than</em> best friends.</p><p>He placed the box carefully in his pocket, and pat it twice, before putting away his hair spray and hair gel. He readjusted his clothes again, re-smoothed his top spike tips, then clapped his cheeks a few times.</p><p>“Ok, Sora!” He murmured to himself, then bounced as he spoke in his native tongue. “<em>You can do this!</em>”</p><p>Tip toeing his way to the front of his apartment, he carefully slipped on his shoes, quietly locked the door, and snuck out into the night.</p><p>He was only a fifteen minute walk from the beach- a perk of living near the shores of Okinawa- and already assumed Kairi would be there waiting for him. It wasn’t completely dark, the streetlamps and moon lighting his way as though it were still early evening. His steps felt heavier, worry twisting inside of him as he approached. And as expected, there she was at the shoreline. The sandy shore was away from the streetlights, so the pitch black covered the water, with moonlight reflecting ripples in the night. She was hunched over, using her cell phone flashlight to scan the darkness, too eager to wait for him. She was a vision in the night with her long, auburn hair, light skirt turned dark violet in the night, and white spaghetti strap. She was pretty in anything she wore, and once again his heart skipped a beat at the sight of her.</p><p>Kairi. His best friend, his love, and his future.</p><p>“<em>Sora!”</em> She waved at him and beckoned him closer. “<em>I found a pretty one!</em>”</p><p>“<em>Oh really</em>?” He grinned, glad at the great start to the night. “<em>That’s good!</em>”</p><p>“Hmmmm?” She hummed thoughtfully at him as he approached, smile turning teasing as she shined the light on him. “<em>You did your hair tonight. No wonder you took so long.</em>”</p><p>“<em>Ah-</em>” He winced, rubbing the nape of his neck a little sheepishly. He knew she was just teasing, since he was only five minutes late. “<em>Do you like it?</em>”</p><p>She hummed again, this time in consideration. “<em>I guess so. It makes you look cooler than your usual poofy hair!</em>” She teased, reaching up and ruffling his spikes playfully.</p><p>“<em>Hey!</em>” He protested, hands flying up to fix them. “<em>I just made</em> <em>it!</em>”</p><p>She laughed at him, before darting off, stealing away his chance to retaliate.</p><p>They’d gone seashell hunting plenty- more times than they could count. The best times were during winter before all the tourists could take the good ones, and leave them with shards and scraps. They scoured the darkness, using their cellphone lights to illuminate the sand. This time however, besides the shell Kairi found in the beginning, they didn’t have a good haul. Sora took this as his opportunity. While he was away from her, he fished out the little box, and plucked out the contents, holding it safely in his palm.</p><p>“Kairi!” He waved with his free arm after putting the box away again, and stood up to meet her. “<em>I found a really good one!</em>”</p><p>She dropped her hunt and came to meet him, eager at his discovery. When he uncurled his hand and revealed it, she gasped sharply, hand over her mouth.</p><p>“<em>Do you like it?</em>” He asked.</p><p>“<em>Oh, Sora, it’s beautiful!</em>” She reverently plucked it from his palm and examined it under the light of her phone. “<em>I can’t believe someone lost this!</em>”</p><p>It was a ceramic, silver-lined thalassa shell charm, hung on a delicate silver chain. It was about the size of the tip of her finger, fine and elegant. It was in the shape of a star, five shells melded together to create the illusion. It was her favorite seashell in a cutesy shape, forever immortalized and conveniently crafted to carry with her wherever she went.</p><p>“<em>Actually,</em>” he laughed, but it was all nerves. His stomach did flip-flops and throat went dry. Now or never, Sora, don’t give up! “<em>I picked it out for you.</em>”</p><p>She looked at him and froze. “<em>What?</em>”</p><p>Weeks of practicing and fantasizing all came down to this moment. He just had to <em>not</em> mess it up. “<em>Kairi, I...” </em>One last breath. “<em>I love you. I’ve loved you ever since we were kids. Ever since I was little I just wanted to be with you, and now that feeling’s just gotten stronger. I want us to be together.</em>” He put his trembling hand over his heart, emotions getting the best of him now that he was here. “<em>If you just give me a chance, I can prove I’ll be the best boyfriend ever! I know everything you like and can make every day special. So just… say yes and that you’ll start going out with me!</em>”</p><p>For a second, only the waves spoke. Kairi was frozen on the spot, jaw slack at the sudden turn. Sora was reeling at his own bravado. He did it! He actually did it! He didn’t stumble over his words or anything! He couldn’t believe how perfectly this was going!</p><p>“<em>Sora...</em>” Oh no, she was talking. “<em>You’re my dearest, best friend.</em>” Yes! Good, another confession! “<em>And you’re the most precious person in the world to me.</em>” He had hoped for this reaction- nay, dreamed it, but feeling it in person was something else! “<em>You know I would give anything to make you happy!</em>” He knew, Kairi! He knew already! Just say yes and get it over with! You were killing him with the suspense!</p><p>“<em>But...</em>”</p><p>His heart stopped.</p><p>“<em>Those feelings aren’t… like </em><em><b>that</b></em><em>. I never saw you as a boyfriend. Maybe like… a brother.</em>”</p><p>His stomach started to clench. A cold panic started to seize him. “<em>Well, that’s just cuz you haven’t gone out with me yet,</em>” He hastily argued. “<em>I can be romantic! And even nice! Just give it a few dates, you’ll see-</em>”</p><p>“<em>No, I mean-</em>” And she looked at him like her heart was breaking. “<em>I’ve </em><em><b>tried</b></em> <em>to look at you that way. I thought I would be happier if I did. But no matter what I tried, I could never see you like that. I’m sorry, Sora.</em>” She took his hand, and carefully placed the necklace back. “<em>I can’t accept this.</em>”</p><p>He stared, frozen in place as he looked at the trinket in his hand, and comprehended what was happening. For a few seconds he forgot to breathe, a momentary shock blocking him from reacting.</p><p>“Sora?” She whispered in the night.</p><p>She shook himself out of it. And then he laughed nervously. “<em>No, no, Kairi, you’re right, we’re just friends. I shouldn’t… I shouldn’t’ve expected anything else.</em>” He clumsily got out the box from his pocket, trembling hands fumbling the necklace back into the box. “<em>I mean let’s face it, if you felt something you would’ve said something sooner, right?</em>” He laughed again. “<em>I’m always the slow one.</em>”</p><p>“<em>It’s not like that, Sora!</em>” She protested, not liking where this was going. “<em>I really tried, I just didn’t want-</em>”</p><p>“<em>I just-</em>” He held up a hand. “<em>I just need a few days on my own, ok?</em>”</p><p>She pressed her lips together, stepping back. “<em>Oh… ok. But we’re… we’re still friends, right?</em>”</p><p>He looked at her then, expression betraying how lost he felt. He had been so sure she’d say yes. It just seemed like the natural, expected progression in their relationship. He’d never even considered what he’d do if she’d said “no”. But he quickly beat it back, summoning up a smile in true Sora fashion as he reassured her. “<em>Of course, Kairi! You’ll always be my best friend!</em>”</p><p>She didn’t feel convinced. But she didn’t say anything as he slipped the box back into his pocket. And finally turned and headed home.</p><p>They had to take the same way back- at least for the first part. It left them in a thick, confusing, awkward silence as they trekked through the night. Kairi wished she could say something, <em>anything</em> to make this better, but she’d tried her best. Finally desperate to end the silence, she said: “<em>You know, tonight was really nice! I thought it was really sweet the way you did everything! Any other girl would love it!</em>”</p><p>But Sora didn’t answer. If anything, his head just seemed to hang lower. (It was because he disagreed with her. It wasn’t for “any other girl”- he had planned everything just for her liking.) Kairi gave up, an increasingly large part of her fearing that maybe they’d never be able to joke and talk normally again. Sora, for his part, didn’t say a word. He held onto himself in a way he never had before, arms half crossed in the night air. But he wasn’t holding off the cold.</p><p>There was a great rumble and shake, and suddenly the ground lurched from underneath them. They fell to the ground, wobbling and shaking on all fours as a fury hit the island with a vengeance. A telephone pole fell just to the side of them, and Sora threw his arm over Kairi. He pushed her down out of instinct, holding her against the pavement for dear life. Everything broke and cracked around them, the rumble of the quake underlying the sudden shouts and whip-crackle of buildings breaking in the night. As the world crashed with thunderous roars around them, the pair shook and whimpered, praying with everything they had that they’d survive.</p><p>It felt like eons, but only lasted a few minutes. When it finally went still, they were too afraid to move, ears ringing ominously in the sudden silence of the night. After a moment, Sora cautiously lifted his head and released Kairi, both pushing to their knees. Dusty plumes rose in the night, hazing out jagged silhouettes against the night stars, piercing the heavens with the damage. They looked on in horror as the powder settled and the wreckage became clear. Buildings had crumpled and collapsed all around them, with poles and streetlights broken, toppled over, and sparking. Cracks in the asphalt showed where the earthquake had fractured the ground, and pale sidewalks bore the same treatment.</p><p>Their entire world had shattered.</p><p>With heaving breaths, Sora and Kairi took one look at each other, shouted “<em>MA!”</em>  echoingly, then sailed as they took off into the night.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Broken Worlds</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kin Town was a very old, beautiful amalgamation of cultures in Japan. After World War II, the US military built Camp Hansen right in the middle of the town as a base to house marines. Over time, as businesses began to cater to the base, the two social spheres melded together to create a mixture of American and Japanese countryside that became a distinctive trademark. This developed a very unique atmosphere where English and Japanese played side by side on the daily, with Okinawan locals and marines bridging the barrier to be good friends. The old, historic buildings and welcoming attitude created an easy going atmosphere to attract strangers far and wide. Sora loved it, getting peeks of the outside world through foreigners and visitors, and becoming friends with American and Japanese citizens without discrimination. While he may have occasionally gotten confused for an American, hardly anyone gave him a second glance as an anomaly- he was just another white face in the town. His bilingual skills were not a rarity, but practically commonplace, with the two worlds coming together to create something beautiful and rare. It was his home, and there was no where else in the world like it.</p><p>Now there was only pain. Two days after the disaster, the worlds lay in pieces at his feet. The old, worn buildings that had once housed tacorice and bars now lay in shambles and ruin. The shock had finally worn off, and the grief set in.</p><p>Army and red cross had already started arriving, trying to make haste with the disaster relief even as the rescues carried on. Suspense and apprehension reigned supreme throughout the shelters and camps as survivors waited with bated breath, hoping to find loved ones alive by some miracle in the rubble while the waters receded. Or just find them in the shelters.</p><p>Sora was one of the latter.</p><p>As he waded through the tents and sleeping bags, he searched for any familiar face at all. No Tidus, no Selphie or Wakka- but this was three out of hundreds spread through multiple areas. It wasn’t easy to search through everyone.</p><p>The hilarious part was he had a cellphone. It just didn’t work anymore.</p><p>But he did know one face personally, and he was able to ask people in charge for her.</p><p>The mayor was an average-height woman, with a slight build and straight black hair she normally kept loosely pulled back. Thick forelocks and blunt bangs framed her round face, and thin, usually painted lips popped out against her skin. She had very dark eyes, and a small smile she constantly wore for the public’s benefit.</p><p>But now she was just as haggard as the rest of the victims, wearing her dirty nightgown (much like the rest of the people) with only a clear, washed face and hands to differentiate her as a leader. She was busy speaking with a rescue agent trying to go over procedures, when Sora found her.</p><p>“<em>Ms. Mayor?”</em></p><p>She looked at him, and then she gasped, bowing to the agent and apologizing profusely before she rushed to Sora. <em>“Sora! </em><em>Where’s Kairi? Is she at the camp?</em><em>” </em>She asked excitedly, looking out behind him.</p><p>Sora felt his heart sink. <em>“</em><em>I’m sorry, Mayor</em><em>.”</em> He dropped his eyes. <em>“</em><em>We got separated. I lost her.</em><em>”</em></p><p>And just like that, her face fell again. She brought her hands to her face, shaking her head slightly as she felt the dread creeping in.</p><p>“<em>Have you seen my parents?”</em></p><p>“<em>No,”</em> she confessed as she released her face. <em>“You’re the first.”</em></p><p>His stomach clenched. That meant she hadn’t seen their other friends either.</p><p>“<em>Have you been helped? Do you have a sleeping bag?”</em></p><p>“<em>Yeah, I’ve been looking for everyone.”</em></p><p>“<em>Well, keep looking. People are still coming in. And people have been taken to hospitals too- they may be there.”</em></p><p>He nodded to show he understood, and decided to hold off on his search for now.</p><p>The shelters and camps were further up the elevation, out of the way of the worst of the tsunami damage. The gym shelter was at the community center, while the rest were camps that had been set up in the parks, near the main road on the edge of Camp Hansen. They were several spread through out the city, as opposed to one big camp, so it had taken Sora a day and a half to walk through the camps and travel to each, before he traveled back and opted for the one nearest the City District Office, so he could stay close to the mayor. The tsunami had receded from the area, so it was, thankfully, dry ground by the time Sora stopped. But out in the open, they still had to look at earthquake damage, and trash down the roads. Besides the rocks, rubble, wood, and odd knick knacks and furniture, the waste from sea water littered the ground. Some kelp and seaweed and even dead fish got caught in some of the crevices and on the tires of old cars that had drifted. The stink of stale water and fish began to permeate the air as the sun beat down over the next two days.</p><p>And there were bodies.</p><p>As if the damage itself weren’t enough, after two days there were all these unfamiliar faces swarming the place, telling people where to go and what to do. They were helping, but they were just adding a strange culture to an already unfamiliar situation, just adding to the dissociation.</p><p>Sora started to have these weird thoughts lately. Like, was any of this for real? Or not?</p><p>People weren’t allowed to watch the rescue efforts, for risk of getting in the way. But they gave missing loved ones names, and their addresses, so that their houses could be searched. Sora did the same just in case, though he knew his father would have unburied his mother by the time the waves hit. Everyone alive was registered with the red cross and city census, and were kept in designated areas so as to reunite them with families. (Or eventually, to be told news of their loved ones’ deaths.)</p><p>“Shouldn’t you be in the base?” The soldier asked, confused.</p><p>Sora looked to him, equally confused. He was waiting in line for rations and had finally gotten up to the front to take his meals for the next couple days. “No? My spot’s over there,” He said, pointing out the middle of the park. The soldier stared at him, but Sora paid him no heed, instead taking his rations and leaving. Sora might have forgotten the incident, if it wasn’t for what happened the next day.<br/>
(Because that soldier had remembered him and reported it to his superior, just in case.</p><p>“Can you describe the boy for me?”</p><p>“Yeah. Short, thin, blue eyes, spiky hair.”</p><p>“Spiky?”</p><p>“Yup. <em>Really</em> spiky.”</p><p>“...do you have a hair color?”</p><p>“Oh, brown.”)</p><p>Sora had just been talking with his camp neighbors, minding his own business, when a man in army uniform came up to him.</p><p>“Hey, kid.”</p><p>He was a taller man, with broad shoulders and dark brown hair. He had very piercing storm-blue eyes and a scar between them. Sora took one look at him and was instantly intimidated.</p><p>“...yes?”</p><p>“What’s your name?”</p><p>“Arias?” He looked at the clipboard the man brought out. “Sora?”</p><p>He checked near the top of the list, scanning thoughtfully with a frown, and flipped the page up to check that one too. “You’re not showing up on the list.”</p><p>“Oh...” He looked at his camp neighbors as though for some explanation, but they seemed even more baffled than him. “So… you <em>haven’t</em> found my mom and dad?” He asked hopefully.</p><p>He let the page fall and looked at him critically. “How did you end up in this camp?”</p><p>“Uh, I walked here.” He pointed east, in the general direction of the other camps. “I got carried out to the gym and made my way back here.”</p><p>He turned around briskly. “Come with me.”</p><p>Sora winced, but stood to do that.</p><p>“Bring your bag.”</p><p>“O-oh, um...” He hastily grabbed his things. “Am I not supposed to be here?”</p><p>“No, and I have no idea why you are. Someone should have brought you over.”</p><p>“Sorry...”</p><p>Of course, Sora didn’t know <em>why</em> he was apologizing, he just felt it was the right thing to do. (Mostly it was due to the fear talking.) He trekked in behind him, following close at his heels with his head down, like a scolded school boy. At least until he heard his name.</p><p>“<em>Sora! Where are you going?”</em></p><p>Sora looked up at her and stopped, at once glad for a familiar face. <em>“Mayor!”</em> He glanced at the military person, then to her. <em>“He said I’m not </em><em>supposed to be here.”</em></p><p>“<em>But, that’s the way to the marine shelter!”</em></p><p>“<em>What?”</em> He jumped back, looking at the man in confusion. Then he switched to English. “But, I’m not military!”</p><p>The man, who had been following the exchange silently, pinched the bridge of his nose as he sighed. “I was just about to make a big mistake, wasn’t I?”</p><p>“Sir,” the mayor said in heavily accented English as she hurried over. She put her hands on Sora’s shoulders, making him feel immensely safer. “I know he looks American, but he is not! His parents are both Japanese, and American, making him look like this! But he <em>is</em> Japanese.”</p><p>“Why didn’t you say anything sooner?” The man chided him.</p><p>Sora winced, taking a step back. “You didn’t ask!”</p><p>“Iiiii think you might’ve overdone it, Sergeant Squall.”</p><p>The new voice made the three turn with a start. A young, pleasant, Japanese face peered up at them from her spot. The giveaway to her true identity, however was the camouflage uniform of US military.</p><p>“The poor kid was too scared to argue back.”</p><p>“It’s <em>Leonhardt</em>” The man shifted as he put his hand on his hip. “Shouldn’t you be out directing traffic, Kisaragi?”</p><p>“Already done, sir!” She snapped her heels together and saluted smartly. “They just need your signature for the deliveries!”</p><p>“Of course they do.” He sighed. “I can’t believe I was about to kidnap a kid...” He said to himself, then</p><p>looked at the mayor again. “Sorry about this.”</p><p>She nodded her head. “It’s alright, I understand.”</p><p>He nodded to her, then stalked off to do whatever next responsibility he had going on. Sora harrumphed and crossed his arms.</p><p>“He could’ve asked...”</p><p>“Sorry about him,” Yuffie said. “He’s been wound up tight through all this. He hates seeing all these people in so much pain.”</p><p>“Could’ve fooled me,” Sora huffed.</p><p>“Don’t let him get to ya. He’s a real softie under that hard, military exterior.” She winked. “But I guess I shouldn’t be telling you that.”</p><p>Despite himself, Sora smiled. “That’s ok. I won’t tell him.”</p><p>“Thanks! I’d like to keep my career a little bit longer!” She jokingly saluted with a smile, before waving at them. “Seeya!”</p><p>Sora waved back, watching her leave with some amusement.</p><p>“<em>Do you think Tidus and Selphie are with them?”</em> He asked the mayor. <em>“</em><em>Since they’re American? </em><em>Maybe they confused Kairi too.</em><em>”</em></p><p>“<em>I checked- the Tidus and Selphie are there, but Kairi isn’t with them. I’m sorry Sora, I meant to tell you, I just forgot...”</em></p><p>“<em>It’s</em><em> ok.”</em> He smiled reassuringly up at her.<em> “You’re doing a lot. But m</em><em>an, that’s a relief. </em><em>At least we don’t have to worry about them anymore. </em><em>We just need to find Wakka </em><em>and Kairi</em><em>.</em><em>”</em></p><p>She finally let go of him, lips pursing in thought. She looked after where the other two had gone, where the military and red cross personnel were working. She wondered how best to go forward.</p><p>Of course, his camp neighbors were extremely curious about the incident, thinking that Sora had just been told good news about his family, so he had to quickly translate and reiterate for their benefit. Despite his scare, it caused some general amusement and to last them the next 15 minutes.</p><p>But after the sixth day of constantly checking new faces, and awaiting fruitlessly for news, Sora couldn’t take the agonizing, grievous monotony anymore.</p><p>Just to try to get his mind off things, he decided to take a quick peek at these cool new planes flying in. He kept seeing them overhead, and at first couldn’t figure out what they were all carrying. So he decided to find out.</p><p>The fence around the small airport had been bent, so Sora leaned onto an unbroken piece. He wasn’t sure how long he stood there watching all the busyness through the fence links, all he knew was that it beat staring at earthquake damage day in and day out. Everyone was so busy with the unpacking and hauling cargo from the long, thick planes no one noticed him. So he stared, mind eventually wandering back to the night unfairly replaying in his mind.</p><p>“Hey! What’re you doing here, kid!?”</p><p>Oops, opportunity over.</p><p>He jumped and blinked back to reality, staring at two workers that had noticed him. The shipment had apparently finally slowed, and the men had the opportunity to spot their little spy. He winced and rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry.” He said, face down. “I just wanted to check out the planes.”</p><p>The two men were both wearing khaki pants and a white jacket. One was as short as Sora, and white with carrot hair, the other was average height, lanky and black with close cropped hair. The short white one looked pissed off, while his companion looked over Sora’s ragged, haphazard appearance with something akin to sympathy.</p><p>“What’s your name, son?” The taller man asked.</p><p>“It’s Sora.”</p><p>“Do ya like Goofy?”</p><p>He perked up. “Yeah! An’ Donald and Mickey too!”</p><p>“What a coinkidink!” Came Goofy’s voice, and the man drawled with a grin. “I’m Goofy, an’ this here’s Donald!”</p><p>Sora gasped in awe, as the shorter white companion glowered up at his friend. “Seriously? Now, of all times? I <em>swear</em>, you are-”</p><p>“Whoa!” Sora gaped, eyes wide and sparkling with rapture. “You sound <em>just</em> like him!”</p><p>“Sure <em>do</em>!” The man grinned, showing off his big bright teeth. Then spoke in his normal voice. “The name’s Glover.” He switched back into his impression, thumbing at his companion. “An’ this here worry wart’s my best pal!”</p><p>“For the last time!” The companion seethed. “Stop making that dumb-!”</p><p>“What’s your real name?” Sora asked.</p><p>“...Donald.”</p><p>Sora snorted, then snickered into his fist.</p><p>“Now you can see why I hate this guy so much,” He glowered up at Glover, who just grinned down mischievously at him.</p><p>Despite himself, Sora smiled, spirits lifting as he giggled. “Is this your plane?”</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>“Cool! I love planes! My dad’s a pilot.”</p><p>“Then you should know you’re not supposed to be here.”</p><p>“Aw c’mon, I’m outside the fence!” He argued. “And I know to avoid the runway!”</p><p>“I should <em>hope</em> so.”</p><p>“Do your parents know where you are?” Glover asked more seriously.</p><p>“I haven’t found them yet,” Sora confessed. “We got separated after the tsunami.”</p><p>Glover was quiet then, and even Donald grew grim with realization. Sora released the fence, and grabbed his own arm wilting under their looks. His spirits fell and that familiar feeling of dread cropped up again from the doubts. Glover pressed his mouth together and looked around the airport and runway, seeing the last of the workers and cargo hauls making their way out.</p><p>“...Wanna see the inside?” Glover asked, pointing to the cargo plane behind them.</p><p>“<em>Do</em> I!?”</p><p>“Oh no,” Donald wagged his finger, even as Sora excitedly went to a bent piece of the fence. “No no no no no no we’re <em>not</em> getting in trouble today!”</p><p>“Relax, no one’ll know.” Glover brushed off. “So long as we keep him off the runway.”</p><p>He snorted.</p><p>The boy stepped over the barbed wire and bent chain link and stomped quickly across the fence. He followed Glover up the ramp of the plane. “Whoa, cool!” Sora gasped once they got inside. “So <em>this</em> is what it looks like!” He walked around the empty interior, looking around with interest before turning around. “Can I see the controls?”</p><p>“Sure!”</p><p>“No!”</p><p>Sora ignored him and darted up to the front, looking over all the buttons and knobs with interest.</p><p>“Do ya know how to fly?” “Goofy” teased.</p><p>“No, but I want to!” Sora assured. “I’m gonna be a pilot when I grow up!”</p><p>“Well looky here, Donald!” He affectionately rubbed the boy’s rat’s nest of a head. “We got ourselves here a little pilot!”</p><p>“Not if he keeps breaking the rules, we don’t.” He grumped.</p><p>“How ‘bout I give you here a little lesson?”</p><p>“Really?” Sora perked. “That’d be great!”</p><p>“Alrighty now, strap yourself in- safety first!” He instructed, and Sora quickly followed his directions.</p><p>“So what’s this button do?” He pointed to one.</p><p>“Don’t touch!” Donald snapped.</p><p>“I wasn’t gonna!”</p><p>And so began Sora’s first “flying lesson”. He didn’t actually learn all that much, so much as bicker playfully with the pilots. But either way, Sora hadn’t felt this excited in months, so counted this as a win.</p><p>“So how come you’re being so nice to me?” Sora asked Glover as he looked at Donald, who had retreated to the back to keep “look out”. “He doesn’t seem to like me much.”</p><p>“Aw that’s just how he worries,” He assured. “He likes you plenty.”</p><p>Sora looked skeptical.</p><p>“I got a son about your age.”</p><p>“Really?” Sora asked with interest. “What’s his name?”</p><p>“Max.”</p><p>Sora busted up. He clutched his stomach and bowled over, howling through the plane. Once he calmed, he finally gasped and pointed to the man accusingly. “Tell the truth: did you do that on purpose?”</p><p>“Nope! Cross my heart!” He grinned as he did so. “Named him before I saw the cartoons. ‘Course that just means he hates my impressions too now. Used to love ‘em when he was little though. ‘Aw, c’mon, Maxy! Let’s get this here doohicky all fixed up!’ He thought it was the greatest thing ever.”</p><p>Sora snickered.</p><p>“You know, Donald has a couple nephews, too.”</p><p>“Huey, Dewy, and Louie?” Sora asked hopefully.</p><p>“<em>No</em>!” Donald snapped.</p><p>Sora just laughed.</p><p>Glover gave him his number, and his email to write on his hand, even when they knew it was useless. Sora’s phone still didn’t work, but he figured he could just borrow a scrap of paper from someone, and hold onto them until then. Assuming he’d even get paper before it faded, anyway.</p><p>As he got ready to sneak back over the fence to get going, he hesitated. “...thanks for doing this for me,” he said sincerely. “You know, even if you’re not supposed to.”</p><p>“Aw, dontcha worry about it, Sora!” Goofy waved. “Anything we can ta heylp.”</p><p>Sora’s eyes stung with tears, even as he smiled. And in an impulsive moment, Glover extended his arms out invitingly.</p><p>Sora hesitated.</p><p>The teen was Japanese through and through. Physical contact and affection was not high on the priority for Japanese people, and an embrace between two males was almost unheard of. In fact, the last time Sora had “hugged” someone was when he was a child, whenever his father would come home after long trips away. But Sora knew of the gesture, and he knew of it’s commonality to Americans.</p><p>And when he thought back to what he’d have to face, and what these men had given him, he found that suddenly the idea didn’t seem so bad.</p><p>Bursting into tears, he ran into his embrace, holding him tight and relishing in the physical contact. He sobbed into the man’s shirt.</p><p>“I’m sorry, kid.” He said, gently rubbing his back. “I wish there was a way I could make this better.”</p><p>He <em>had</em> though, Sora thought, in his own way. Talking about something else, anything else, just helped him push reality back for a few, precious minutes. And Sora was doubly surprised when he pulled back, only to be tugged into Donald’s arms too. “I hope you find your parents soon.”</p><p>So Donald really <em>did</em> care. Go figure.</p><p>Sora smiled, and after another moment finally pulled back. He hurriedly wiped his face. “I will! Mom’s probably just in the hospital. Dad told me about the tsunami, so he probably just stayed to get her out of the rubble!” <em>Sniff</em>. “They’ll be fine! I just gotta wait until she’s better.”</p><p>“That’s the spirit!” Glover smiled.</p><p>“You keep your chin up, now,” Donald instructed, gently tapping it up with his knuckle. “Try to find a brightside in everything you do, alright?”</p><p>“I will.” He promised. Then turned around and gave them a wave. “Goodbye! Good luck!”</p><p>“Good luck! And you take care too, Sora.”</p><p>And so he bid the two goodbye, lighter in spirits and eternally grateful for their time together, no matter how brief it was.</p><p>When he arrived to his spot again, he was surprised when his camp neighbors motioned for him to go again.</p><p>“<em>The mayor is looking for you!”</em></p><p>“<em>What for?”</em></p><p>“<em>She didn’t say.”</em></p><p>He found her eventually, following her at her urging. He became increasingly confused as they went past the camps, especially as he recognized the way to the military base.</p><p>Sergent Squall was at the gate and had his back to them, seemingly waiting for something. He turned at the mayor’s call, and Sora instantly wilted under his gaze.</p><p>“Sergeant Leonhardt,” She greeted. “He will be your translator.”</p><p>And then Sora’s eyes widened in horror. He craned his neck to look at her in disbelief. She wasn’t <em>seriously</em> suggesting he work with this guy, was she?</p><p>But, as the sergeant switched his gaze back down to Sora, it became increasingly clear she did. He had no choice but to accept this as his new reality. And from the disapproval on his face, Sergeant Leonhardt seemed none too happy about it either.</p><p>Sora looked up at him with something akin to dread.</p><p>Welp.</p><p>So much for his good spirits.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hi guys! IF you enjoyed this chapter, PLEASE comment so I can talk about it with you! I had a lot of fun writing it so would love some feedback and conversations! :D</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Broken Homes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After the waters receded, people had already been trying to make their way back to their homes to salvage things from the wreckage. It was part of why the people trickled into the camps days after their formation- they were too busy to even know the camps existed. After a week, Sora figured he couldn't "wait" anymore and should try to at least get a change of clothes from his apartment, if nothing else. Outside, the bodies piled up, and people were still asked to come and help identify them, if the authorities could not.</p><p>Sora didn't bother. He was sure he would break down if he saw all those soulless faces.</p><p>Sergeant Squall allowed him time to go back to his home before working with them, knowing that having at least something from his house would help him feel better. But as part of the directive he also ordered private Cloud to go with him and help.</p><p>Private First Class Cloud was a well-built man, with bright hair and eyes to differentiate him from the crowd- but that was the only thing loud about him. He didn't say anything to Sora as he marched with him down the streets- which Sora was fine with because he honestly didn't know what to say. He still felt awkward talking to the unfamiliar army soldiers.</p><p>They had to step over trash, and old dirty food on their way over, and Sora was almost ashamed to see his once beautiful city such a mess. He wished Cloud would have been able to see this place in all it's glory. What must he think of it now; a pitiful tragedy beyond salvation. There was a street sign from the coast laying nearly three miles inland, and all the pieces from the town were just as mixed up and topsyturvy. Everything had been so far cast and spread out from their origins, Sora felt like he was lost in space, world hopping through every piece imaginable.</p><p>When they got to his apartment building, Sora sighed as he looked out over the damage. Half of the building was still standing, but sadly, Sora's place was on the fallen half. It was even flatter and more strewn about than the last time he had seen it. The weight from the debris had weighed down items from the bottom floor, keeping the heavier things pinned and protected from the tsunamis.</p><p>Unfortunately, Sora had lived on the top floor. Sora didn't trust there would really be anything left.</p><p>But! He wouldn't know unless he tried! He clapped his cheeks briskly. Ma and Pa were counting on him, so Sora would try to take what he could!</p><p>His tenant neighbors had also been waiting at the camps, to allow the rescue agencies time to search the broken building for any bodies or survivors. And Sora was worried to see that there were only a couple neighbors with him now. They looked to each other awkwardly, greeting each other sullenly before heading their way to their respective places. The rescue responders had taken off the biggest pieces of the roof and walls in their search, leaving some rubble at the sidewalks around the block. That left Sora to march to the edge of the rubble, starting the familiar act of tossing off the looser debris.</p><p>It was starting to give him flashbacks.</p><p>So he started to whistle, going through the motions of rummaging with "Off to Work We Go" under his breath.</p><p>"You a Disney fan?"</p><p>Sora turned with a start. Cloud had also started hauling pieces off, along with Sora's neighbor, Takeguchi.</p><p>"Oh, uh," he winced with a bashful gaze, suddenly feeling childish next to the big, bad army guy. "Yeah..."</p><p>"I like Hercules, myself."</p><p>"You do?" He hopped up with a broken beam, eyes sparkling in excitement. "Who's your favorite?"</p><p>"Hades."</p><p>"Hades?!" He gawked. "But he's the bad guy!"</p><p>"So? He's funny." He hauled up another piece with a smirk. "He gives a lot of sass."</p><p>Sora laughed despite himself, and carried on with the work. "You're just like my friend Riku! He liked all the villains! His real name's Rick but we called him Riku as kids and it kinda stuck. Anyway-"</p><p>He was animated, sharing trivia he knew about the movie, it's makings, and his favorite parts and highlights. Then they got to talk about the animated series together, another unexpected delight for him, since not many people he knew even knew about it. They carried on the work all day, and they and neighbors pulled out appliances and belongings they came across that weren't theirs, putting it in a pile out front.</p><p>"Man..." Man groaned, looking at his empty, toppled bookcase. It used to house rows upon rows of video cassettes and DVDs. The older videos had been his father's, with new ones bought over the years for Sora as he went overseas. "Our whole collection, gone..."</p><p>"Sorry."</p><p>He perked back up quickly. "It's ok! I've got them all pretty much memorized at this point." He let it drop and went back to rummaging through the rest of the things. When he was finished, they were basically where they started.</p><p>With nothing.</p><p>"Well that was a bust." Sora sighed. "Guess this was all pointless after all."</p><p>"You don't want to try going through the rest of that?" Cloud asked, thumbing the larger, heavier pieces stacked up.</p><p>"I don't think there'll be anything of mine under there. Besides, I can't ask you to come back here."</p><p>"I really don't mind. I'd rather be doing this than distribution."</p><p>"Really?" Sora raised a brow. "But I thought that'd be easier."</p><p>"I don't do people."</p><p>Sora didn't know why he found it funny, but he did, and he laughed. They abandoned the wreckage and trekked back, Sora's heart growing heavy as reality sunk in.</p><p>"Wait." He stopped suddenly as something caught his eye. He darted over some debris and reached down to pick out something bright red in the wreckage. "Mushu!"</p><p>"Is it yours?"</p><p>"It's gotta be!" He looked over his little figurine, brushing off the dirt and grime. "It must've gotten carried further out!"</p><p>"So," Cloud crossed his arms, lips quirking. "You wanna try coming back after all?"</p><p>Sora took another look out the old wreckage of his apartment. "… Yeah! Let's give it a shot!"</p><p>"I'll see if I can get my friend to help."</p><p>"Really? You mean it?" He grinned. "Thanks, Cloud!"</p><p>His excitement dropped when he saw the friend the next day. Unlike Cloud it was a nice, friendly face, with bright red-brown eyes, and very long dark hair tied back in a ponytail, so that was a welcome sight.</p><p>But it was also female.</p><p>Now, Sora was all for girl power (hey, he liked Mulan!) but… these were super heavy! Hence why Sora and Cloud hadn't been able to get to them in the first place. Sora was already pretty scrawny as is- he felt bad making Cloud do most of the heavy lifting. So when he saw her, he forced a nervous, apprehensive smile, and said:</p><p>"So uh… are your other friends helping too?"</p><p>"Nope!" She answered cheerfully. "Just me!" She winked at him and clapped her bicep. "Don't worry, I'm stronger than I look."</p><p>Sora laughed, but it was out of nerves as he wondered if there was even a point to going back.</p><p>Cloud just smirked.</p><p>Sora kept his mouth shut as they neared his apartment again, figuring beggars couldn't be choosers, and that between the three of them, they could probably lift some of the heavier pieces.</p><p>In fact, Sora was preparing to do just that when Tifa stopped him.</p><p>"Oh, you should let us handle this." She said as she walked by. "You wouldn't want to hurt yourself."</p><p>"Wha-" Sora gaped, pointing to his own nose in clarification. "Me hurt my-?" Then he looked at Cloud, pointing to her as if to say: 'can you believe her?!'</p><p>"You should listen to her." Cloud said, putting a hand on his head as he walked by. "She's looking out for you."</p><p>The touch and words seemed caring and affectionate. But Sora was pretty sure he was making fun of him.</p><p>He huffed and crossed his arms, watching as the two got on either side of a piece of thick, four meter wood-braced wall.</p><p>"Ready?" Tifa asked as she got her hands under.</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>"Heave-ho!"</p><p>Sora stared, gaping at the sheer ease with which they lifted the huge, bulky piece. They acted like it was a piece of drywall! He stared, watching raptly as they walked past him to carry it out, and set it down on the sidewalk. Blinking himself back to reality, he uncrossed his arms.</p><p>"Ok then… I guess you two got it," he conceded awkwardly, looking around to see if there was anything he could lift.</p><p>With Tifa on their side, they made quick work of the rubble. They were even kind enough to help Takeguchi, as he had also come back to filter through the pile some more. Sora was delighted to find his dresser, which had been toppled over in the waves. After the two helped right it, he was relieved to see his clothes still there as he pulled open the drawers and pulled them out-</p><p>Only to grimace when he saw there was still literal sea water in the drawers. Plus, once he got a whiff of the mildew-y smell of them, he didn't think they'd be salvageable. He sighed, rifling through all of them, but finding the grime permeating all the fabrics. "Great. So much for that."</p><p>"Donations will be coming in soon," Cloud pointed out. "You may be able to find something there."</p><p>He looked back up at the privates dolefully. "Sorry, guys. Guess you did all that work for nothing."</p><p>"Don't worry about it," Tifa crouched down by him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Why don't you try finding something else you can take back?"</p><p>There wasn't even remnants of his "room". He had been on the top floor and everything had broken and fallen to the ground. But he could still find a few of their things, mixed in with the things from his downstairs neighbors. Like the cabinets filled with their cookware.</p><p>"I don't even have anything to carry it, though," he realized with a sigh. "I don't know how I thought I'd get everything."</p><p>"I saw a sheet on our way here." Tifa suggested. "Maybe you can use that as a bag?"</p><p>"I dunno about using something that isn't ours, though," Sora confessed, itching the back of his neck as he looked around everything again. "It doesn't seem right. If my luggage were still here we coulda just used that."</p><p>"Why don't we look for it?" Cloud suggested. "It might've gotten carried off like your toy."</p><p>"Oh yeah, maybe!"</p><p>He described it for them, and they set out for the search. They didn't stray too far, opting to keep the radius relatively close to the building.</p><p>"Hey." Cloud called.</p><p>"You found it?" Sora asked hopefully.</p><p>"No, but," He turned around and opened up his palm. "Is this yours?"</p><p>Sora bounded over, face lighting up. "Dumbo!" He took it reverently, wiping off the splinters. "Hey there, little guy. Did you have an adventure?"</p><p>"He's so cute!" Tifa gushed.</p><p>Sora chuckled, looking down at his little piece fondly. "Yeah. I used to have dozens of 'em. Whole rows upon rows. They used to make me… really happy."</p><p>They were quiet then, and Tifa offered a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry we couldn't find more."</p><p>Sora shook his head. "No, it's ok. You guys were a big help. And hey! We helped Takeguchi find his things!" He pointed out with a smile. "That's something, right?"</p><p>"Yeah!" She nodded. "I guess it is."</p><p>"Let's go back," Sora finally said. "At least I-" Then he stopped, gasping in shock. "Kairi."</p><p>"Kairi?"</p><p>"My friend. Her collection. Oh man, she's gonna be devastated if there's nothing left!" He looked up at them. "Can we stop by my friend's house? Please?"</p><p>"Sure." Cloud said easily. "It's not like we're under a time limit."</p><p>When they arrived at the place, Sora already knew it was going to be in shambles. But seeing the reality of it was something else entirely. Like his own apartment building, the mayor's house was familiar and comforting to him. Or at least, it had been, before…</p><p>"Search for seashells." Sora instructed, already peering around the area. "She had a ton of 'em..."</p><p>And so they searched, peeking around obstructions and in crevices of wreckage, trying to find a glimpse of anything. But unlike Sora's great strokes of luck, they couldn't even find those.</p><p>She lived in a house, and there hadn't be enough weight to hold everything down.</p><p>He sighed. Looked like she'd be starting over.</p><p>He put his hand on his pocket, where the silver box lay safely nestled in his cargo shorts. Because of course, that had been with him through all this, and was the only thing he had that was "ok" through everything, like a cruel mockery of his feelings.</p><p>He was tempted to toss it out and leave it there, just wanting to be rid of it. But he stopped, remembering how happy it had made her for just those brief, precious moments before she learned the truth of it. And thinking how, despite everything, it was still something she liked.</p><p>He held onto it, figuring maybe after learning of the loss of her collection, having something new would comfort her.</p><p>Besides, it seemed like a waste to just throw it away.</p><p>He came back out, sullen-faced, and Tifa looked to him sympathetically.</p><p>"You ok?"</p><p>"Yeah, I'm… I'm ok… let's get back to camp."</p><p>Across the sea, in the land of the free, Riku and his parents watched the clips of the damage on their TV screen. He was seventeen now; tall, working out, and with striking features. His albinism gave him shocking white hair, pale skin, and blue-green eyes. His father also had the same features, while his mother was blonde. They were focused on the TV, the news anchor spoke perfunctorily over the broken wreckage and tsunami clips.</p><p>"How horrible! We should call them!" His mother suggested.</p><p>"Can we even get a hold of them? You see the damage, I doubt their phones are working."</p><p>"Well we should try. We have to make sure they're alright!"</p><p>"Rick, have you heard from Sora or Kairi at all?"</p><p>The teen had been silent, looking down at his hands. They were clenched on the back of the couch.</p><p>"...I can't talk to Sora or any of my friends," he finally said. "I have to act normal."</p><p>His parents stared at him, completely befuddled, and watched as he abruptly turned from them to head upstairs to his room. He closed the door behind him.</p><p>Sat down at his desk.</p><p>And proceeded to do his homework.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hi everyone, thanks for reading! Be sure to let me know how you enjoyed the story, it really helps motivate me!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Broken People</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Hey Yuffie, do you have a pen?” Sora asked.</p><p>“Nope! But I know the sergeant will have one.”</p><p>Sora grimaced. “… Can you ask him for me?”</p><p>Yuffie laughed. “Oh come on, he’s not as bad as all that! Just ask him nicely!”</p><p>He really didn’t want to. But at this point he supposed he didn’t have a choice.</p><p>“Sergeant… Leonhart, sir?” He asked the man in a small voice. “Can I… borrow a pen? I’ll give it right back.”</p><p>He reached into his pocket and handed it over without thinking. He expected him to walk off with it, but was surprised to see him click it, and write right over his palm. He was carefully tracing over some smudges on his skin, brow furrowed in intense concentration.</p><p>“...Do you want a piece of paper?” The man finally offered, somewhat out of pity.</p><p>Sora jumped, staring wide-eyed at the Sergeant. “Nope! I’m good! Thanks though, that’s real nice of you.” He handed the pen back over with a nervous smile and backed away slowly. “Anyway, thanks for the pen!”</p><p>The man took it, finally taking note of the boy’s bashful demeanor and furrowing his brow in confusion. Which Sora took to be annoyance, and hurried off.</p><p>Maybe the kid had anxiety, Leonhart reasoned.</p><p>That idea flew out the window when he happened to see him interact with Strife.</p><p>“Oi, Cloud!” He snapped later that day after handing out items. “Would it <em>kill</em> ya to smile?”</p><p>“I’m not a cashier,” He argued. “Customer service isn’t part of the job.”</p><p>“It is when you’re trying to bring people happiness!” Sora huffed. “C’mon, there’s little kids in there! At least try not to <em>scowl</em> at ‘em!”</p><p>“I’m not scowling- this is my normal face.”</p><p>Sora pointed at said face. “Well your ‘normal face’ is too grumpy. Relax your forehead or something.”</p><p>Tifa giggled next to him, as Cloud let out a long suffering sigh.</p><p>“Sora giving you a hard time, Strife?” Leon teased.</p><p>Cloud was about to retort, when Sora beat him to the punch.</p><p>With panic.</p><p>“No! No not at all, I was just giving him some tips!” He said quickly, instantly sidestepping around the man. “Sorry, got carried away, won’t happen again Sergeant… sir!” He promised, even throwing in a little salute before darting off.</p><p>Leonhart stared after him, this time <em>definitely</em> noticing the demeanor. “...Kid’s a little jumpy, isn’t he?”</p><p>Cloud shrugged. “He acts fine around me.”</p><p>It was the way he said “around me” that finally got Leon’s wheels turning, and the sergeant had a feeling his job was about to get a lot harder.</p><p>After three days of trying to work with Sora, he didn’t seem any less fearful of him, which was counter-productive to the job. He wasn’t just a “translator”, he was the projected “face” of the army. He was supposed to try to ease the locals into trusting the units, and helping them work together in the relief.</p><p>That wasn’t happening while Sora himself didn’t seem sure of what was going on.</p><p>“Of all the people on the island,” Leon muttered to himself, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I had to get stuck with a <em>kid</em>.”</p><p>Sora, having overheard him, scowled in offense. “I’m almost sixteen- I’m not a <em>kid</em>!”</p><p>He looked at him in some surprise. “...Still a kid, just not <em>as</em> much of one.”</p><p>His scowl deepened, but he asked: “How old did you <em>think</em> I was?”</p><p>“Twelve.”</p><p>“<em>Seriously</em>?!”</p><p>That did <em>not</em> help their relations any.</p><p>“I don’t mind if he doesn’t like me,” the Sergeant complained, “but if he can’t bring the rest of the townsfolk don’t trust us, this is gonna be a lot harder.”</p><p>“He likes Disney,” Cloud offered. “You can try talking to him about that.”</p><p>“I don’t <em>like</em> Disney.”</p><p>“Sure you do!” Yuffie argued cheerfully. “You <em>love</em> Disney, even if you don’t wanna admit it.”</p><p>“Liking <em>one</em> movie does not count as ‘liking Disney’.”</p><p>“You could still give it a shot,” Tifa countered. “From what we saw, he seems to like <em>all</em> of them.”</p><p>He sighed, leaning to the side with a hand on his hip. “...I’ll think about it.”</p><p>He thought about it more when he noticed Sora and <em>Cid</em> getting chummy.</p><p>“Cid? <em>Seriously</em>?” Leon complained. “He’s ten times gruffer than I am. What are they even talking about?”</p><p>“Airplanes,” Yuffie helpfully informed. “Apparently he likes those too.”</p><p>“Too bad I don’t know anything about planes,” He grumbled.</p><p>“Telling you- Disney!” Yuffie chirped.</p><p>Leon sighed.</p><p>He waited until they were alone, after a shift of distribution. Sora wasn’t jumping every time he talked now, at least, but there was still that “tension” between them he couldn’t deny. Leon waited for the lull in conversation, mentally bracing himself, and reminding himself that this sacrifice of his masculine pride was for the greater good.</p><p>“So. I heard you like Disney.”</p><p>Sora turned to him, brows up in surprise. He didn’t say anything though, making Leon instantly regret it and wish he could bury himself away.</p><p>“...Yeah.” He finally admitted, though looked up to him expectantly.</p><p>Another moment, and then: “...Which ones do you like?”</p><p>“Renaissance,” He said instantly. “Though the Silver age is good too. I liked a few of the Dark ages, but those were mostly when I was a kid.”</p><p>Leon stared blankly at him, realizing that he was in <em>way</em> over his head.</p><p>“...I... like one of them too.”</p><p>“Really? Which one?”</p><p>He hesitated, glancing away as he battled with himself just to get a few words out. “The… one with the dogs.”</p><p>Sora quirked a brow and tilted his head in confusion. “Like… The Fox and the Hound?”</p><p>“No, there’s… more dogs.”</p><p>He tilted his head even more. “...Lady and the Tramp?”</p><p>“No, I-” He sighed, hand to his face as he finally admitted the truth. “...101 Dalmatians.”</p><p>“<em>Oooooooh</em>!” He smiled in realization. “Of course! That’s a good one! Who’s your favorite, Pongo or Perdita?”</p><p>The man glanced away bashfully, feeling his cheeks heat up. “The puppies, actually.”</p><p>The boy gasped softly, fists up by his face as he bounced in excitement. “Really?!” It was like a transformation, his whole face lighting up joyously at the revelation. “I like Patch! Which one’s your favorite?”</p><p>He didn’t look at him, but the weight at least slid off his chest. “Rolly.”</p><p>“Aaaaw, he’s cute!” Sora gushed, and Leon wanted to die. “I like adventurers myself!”</p><p>It did the trick. Having found at least one thing to talk about helped break the thick, dirty ice between them- and the realization that Leon had a slight soft spot made him not <em>quite</em> so scary.</p><p>And thus, their work continued, Sora helping the unit become closer to the locals, while <em>he</em> stayed close to the information loop they were privy to.</p><p> </p><p>~3 months later~</p><p>“Gawsh, Sora,” The little three-inch cut out of a scribbled Goofy wiggled a bit in animation. “What’s the matter?”</p><p>“I dunno, guys,” the teen sighed. His chin was resting on the desk. “What if I never find my parents? Or Kairi? Shouldn’t we have found them by now?”</p><p>“Quack!” The little two-inch cut out of scribbled Donald hopped. “You’re over thinkin’ it!”</p><p>“Cheer up, Sora!” The scribbled “Goofy” waved. “We’ll find everyone! Ya just gotta believe!”</p><p>He sighed once, then put the little cut outs down and plunked his head on the desk, stopping his impressions of them. “Imaginary friends at sixteen. Man, I’m really hitting rock bottom.”</p><p>The red cross pilots were busy as ever, as duty called. Leon had been kind enough to lend Sora his laptop so he could email them occasionally. Their conflicting schedules never allowed visits, so he still hadn’t seen him since that day. Glover shared pictures of his son Max, and Sora promised to send pictures of himself once he got a cell phone of his own again. But that was the most of their communication. So hunched over in a rare moment of weakness, the doubts and fears began to rear their ugly heads.</p><p>If it had <em>just</em> been the earthquake, this wouldn’t be so hard.</p><p>“Sora!” Leon’s voice snapped him up.</p><p>Sora felt closer with Leon than the others, which was ironic given how they had started out. But the man had grown on him, and he seemed kinder to Sora now, all things considered. The Mayor, Kairi’s mother, had so much going on trying to work with other community leaders to help the city and prefecture, that she didn’t have the time or means to look after him. So in a weird way, his arrangement with the unit had turned into them watching over him, in exchange for helping translate. It had it’s benefits, with them bringing Sora onto base for the chances of a nice bed and a hot shower, along with a few other things. People had been spread all over the place, making it impossible for one person to search for people on their own. He had helped connect a few broken up families that had spread across the camps, so even if he hadn’t found his parents yet, he still had hope that it would happen someday.</p><p>Which was why he was hopeful as he looked at Leon, who was holding onto the door frame, out of breath. “We found a Jane Doe.”</p><p>Sora stared at him in confusion for a moment, because he wondered what was so special about this “jane” person. “….okaaaaaaaaay?”</p><p>“She sounds a lot like Kairi.”</p><p>He jumped from his seat. “Where?”</p><p>The Jane Doe was in a hospital all the way in the Kumamoto prefecture, on the main island of Japan. She had been flown and transferred further out as the nearby hospitals filled up. The one that received her assumed she was from a military base or was a tourist because of her western features. And of course, they’d been too far to know of the alert for mayor’s missing daughter. She’d been in the army’s system for weeks, but it had taken a long time to cross their Ts and dot their I’s to make sure she wasn’t one of theirs. The most important detail that finally carried over to the sergeant was that she was a teenage girl with red hair- practically a shoe-in for Kairi.</p><p>Since the hospital had reported her to the army first, they would need an officer to help confirm the identity and formally “release” her to her family. (At least, that was Leon’s excuse.) Sergeant Leonhardt formally ordered Yuffie to accompany Sora on their behalf. While Yuffie’s Japanese was basic at best, she still had a better chance of traveling without hiccups than the others, even at nineteen. So she and Sora flew up to the hospital. After he borrowed Leon’s laptop to send a quick email to Glover.</p><p>
  <em>we mightve found kairi! not sure yet tho. ill keep u updated!</em>
</p><p>It wasn’t a hard task. Sora was a seasoned traveler, so stashing his luggage and settling down in his seat was a familiar, welcome routine. He got a middle seat, not really caring since he had seen the outside view so many times before, and knowing he’d be too excited to rest.</p><p>“So have you thought about what you’re gonna do if it turns out to be her?” Yuffie asked.</p><p>“Yeah- demand why she hasn’t come back yet!” Sora pretended to scoff with crossed arms. “Jeez, we’ve only been looking for her forever- not like we were worried or anything!”</p><p>She laughed, then quieted down as the traveling announcements came on. Sora had practically memorized them by now, so tuned them out. Truth was, he’d probably be so relieved he’d hold her until the shock wore off again. And probably pretend <em>that night</em> never happened.</p><p>The jewelry box lay heavy in his pocket. He wondered how she’d react to it.</p><p>At the hospital, Yuffie showed her military ID, introducing herself as army, and explaining to the desk the reason for their visit. Sora helped translate the more complicated statements, and they were asked to take a seat in the front area. It was nearly an hour before a nurse finally came to get them, carrying a clipboard and stack of papers. She asked them to follow her, and she led them to the elevator and down the long hall. As they walked, Sora felt a twisting knot of anxiety as he worried about the possibility of this all being a wild goose chase. But the moment the nurse brought them into the room, he burst with relief.</p><p>“<em>Kairi!</em>” He dashed past the nurse to her bedside, grabbing her hand. “<em>I knew it was you!</em>”</p><p>She didn’t answer. She didn’t even stir. Only the beeping of the machine next her gave proof she was alive. He didn’t care, too overwhelmed at the sight of her to be discouraged.</p><p>“<em>You’re sure this is her?”</em> The nurse asked.</p><p>“<em>Yes.”</em> He nodded, grinning all the while. <em>“It’s definitely her!”</em></p><p>She reached over and pushed a button in the wall behind her bed. After a minute, another nurse came in, and the first informed her they had a positive identity and to fetch the doctor.</p><p>“Well, look at that,” Yuffie smiled. “You made the impossible possible!”</p><p>He laughed a little, smiling with shining eyes to her. He may have felt closer to Leon, but he liked Yuffie best. “Thanks, Yuffie. I can’t thank you guys enough.” He wiped at his eyes quickly.</p><p>“Don’t worry about it! We’re friends now, right? We’ll do all we can to help.”</p><p>He nodded in agreement, because at this point, he’d do anything to help them, too. He looked back to Kairi and gently squeezed her hand. As he did so, however, he frowned in distaste. Why did her hand feel so light? And on that note, why did she look so… <em>thin</em>?</p><p>After they had quieted, the nurse deemed they had finished, and finally spoke up, looking at Yuffie.</p><p>“<em>Excuse me, but could he answer some questions about her?”</em></p><p>“<em>Questions?” </em>Sora frowned in confusion.</p><p>She glanced between the pair uncertainly before looking at Yuffie again, speaking slowly.<em> “Her name, birthday, things like that.”</em></p><p>“<em>Oh, yeah.”</em> Then he frowned, looking at Kairi confusedly. <em>“She hasn’t told you?”</em></p><p>The nurse’s lips pressed into a thin line.<em> “No.” </em>Was all she said to him.</p><p>She walked over by the doorway, like she was waiting for something. Yuffie tilted her head slightly in confusion as she watched the nurse. “What was that all about? Why didn’t she want to talk to you?”</p><p>Sora tilted his head too, humming in thought. “I think… she thought <em>I</em> was the American and <em>you</em> were the Japanese person.”</p><p>They looked at each other- Yuffie’s black hair and brown slanted eyes, with Sora’s light hair and wide blue eyes- and burst out laughing, finding hysteria in the wake of the moment.</p><p>Another nurse came in then, bringing two chairs with her. The nurse with the clipboard offered him the seat with a bow, while the other nurse went back out and brought a third for Yuffie. She proceeded to ask Sora simple questions, after he explained to her that he could talk to her without needing Yuffie to translate. She filled out the form with Kairi’s full name, age, birthday, old phone number, old address, mothers name and anything else Sora could identify.</p><p>“<em>What’s wrong with her?</em>” He finally asked the nurse after the questions were over. “<em>Why is she still here?</em>”</p><p>“<em>The doctor will tell you,” </em>The nurse informed.<em> “He should be here soon.”</em></p><p>He translated for Yuffie, to explain the stretched silence, and waited. He wondered what the doctor was doing, since he’d been called a while ago but still hadn’t shown. He looked at Kairi again, frowning at her condition. She didn’t wake up from all their talking?</p><p>The doctor finally came in some time later, and they quickly stood to meet him. He was an average height man with a thin build, middle-aged and with a pale plaid shirt under his white coat. Bowing quickly at each other in greeting, the nurse handed him the clipboard, and took her leave. He took her seat, indicating Sora and Yuffie to take theirs. He flipped through the pages, glancing over the information.</p><p>“<em>Kairi...” </em>He read the girl’s name aloud curiously. <em>“I wasn’t expecting a name like that.”</em></p><p>“<em>She’s adopted.”</em> Sora answered. <em>“Her mother is Japanese.”</em></p><p>He raised his brows. <em>“Are you her brother?”</em></p><p>“<em>No, her best friend.”</em></p><p>He hummed as he scanned the papers. <em>“Where’s her mother?”</em></p><p>“<em>Kin Town. </em><em>I didn’t want to tell her unless we knew it was Kairi</em><em>.”</em></p><p>“<em>Can she come here?”</em></p><p>“<em>I don’t know. </em><em>She’s really busy..</em><em>.”</em></p><p>“<em>I’ll need to call her to get more information,” </em>he said as he finally flipped the pages back and looked at him. <em>“I believe you, but we have to match her records first to confirm she is who you say she is.”</em></p><p>He nodded once. <em>“I understand. </em><em>Can I call her first? Just to break the news to her?</em><em>”</em></p><p>“<em>Well, you can try calling while I get to my office. There is </em><em><b>one</b></em><em> more thing I’ll have to do. </em><em>Until then, I’m afraid I can’t leave you here alone with </em><em>Kairi</em><em>.”</em></p><p>“<em>Oh.</em>..” he glanced around and stood up awkwardly, Yuffie following him curiously. <em>“Then where…?”</em></p><p>“<em>You can sit outside.”</em></p><p>They brought the chairs outside in the hall, and Sora and Yuffie remained for another long wait time.</p><p>Sora groaned dramatically to himself as he sunk into his chair.</p><p>“Cheer up!” Yuffie tried. “At least you found her!”</p><p>“Yeah, that’s true.” He smiled. “At least the hard part is over. Hold on, I gotta see if I can find a phone.”</p><p>He got her voicemail, which was about as much as he figured. He only hoped she heard his message before the doctor’s. It was almost two hours before the doctor finally returned. He invited them back into the room and resettled, this time putting his chair on the other side of her bed.</p><p>“<em>She’ll be taking a plane up tomorrow morning.”</em> He informed. <em>“Then I can tell you everything. Until then, you can visit and talk with Kairi, if you’d like.”</em></p><p>“<em>Yes!” </em>He cheered.</p><p>“<em>She’s in a coma, but she can still-”</em></p><p>“<em>Coma?!”</em></p><p>He blinked. <em>“I thought they would’ve told you that.”</em></p><p>“<em>No!” </em>Sora exclaimed.<em> “No one’s told me anything!”</em></p><p>The doctor sighed. <em>“She’s been in a coma the past three months. That’s why we haven’t been able to identify her until now.”</em></p><p>“<em>Three months...” </em>He sunk back into the chair in shock, everything finally clicking into place. <em>“She’s been asleep this whole time...”</em></p><p>“<em>Not “asleep”. A coma doesn’t work the same way. She might still be receiving input, but we have no way of knowing.”</em></p><p>He looked up at him hesitantly, frowning in confusion. <em>“Receiving…?”</em></p><p>“<em>She might still hear us.”</em></p><p>“<em>You hear that, Yuffie?” </em>Sora said excitedly, grabbing her arm and shaking it.<em> “She might still hear us!”</em></p><p>“Uh, earth to Sora,” Yuffie waved. “Forgot to switch over.”</p><p>“Oh, right!”</p><p>He briefly explained to her, and she shared his excitement. That seemed to be all the permission Sora needed to babble Kairi’s ear off. A nurse remained with them as the doctor left, and also got to hear of his adventures and his new friends in the army and red cross. He introduced Kairi to Yuffie, and his little cut outs of Donald and Goofy. He entertained himself, Yuffie, and the nurse with little conversations, demonstrating his impressions of the Dog and Duck he had used the last three months to keep his spirits up. He told her everything he could to pass the time, and try to make light of the heavy situation.</p><p>It might have been his imagination, but a few times he thought he saw her twitch.</p><p>If he had a choice, he would have stayed with her all night. But unfortunately, that was not allowed, so Yuffie got a hotel room for them. He left his little cut outs of Donald and Goofy by her bedside, giving them firm instructions to look after her for him.</p><p>As the night wore on, and Yuffie’s breathing evened out, Sora snuck out of his bed and pulled out the silver box from his pocket. Opening it up and taking out the contents, he gripped the little thalassa charm as he leaned back against the bed and stared up at the cieling.It was stupid, but the thing reminded him of Kairi so much that occasionally he would just hold it, like an anchor, and help settle his emotions as he wrestled with the doubt.</p><p>It was a wonderful feeling having his hope fulfilled, and he was immensely glad he had kept up his cheery outlook, but at this point he had no idea how he was going to go forward. Truthfully, he hadn’t had time to think about what he was going to do when they all got back. It seemed pretty simple: everyone was going to be stuck rebuilding for <em>weeks</em>. (Actually, it was years.) They could forget school, he was pretty sure, and probably normal “work” too for a lot of people. Would his dad keep flying, or would he stay home with the family and help them rebuild?</p><p>Sora wasn’t sure. He’d have to find them first and ask.</p><p>As much as he hated what happened, and wished it had never come to pass, he found he kind of liked helping people. Sure, it just started as a means to find Kairi and his parents, but now it had grown on him. There was something satisfying to helping people in need, and he found he didn’t mind the idea of doing it for a while longer. And if he stayed with Leon and the others, he’d get every shred of information until he finally found his parents too. Maybe they were in comas too and that was why they hadn’t come back yet.</p><p>That was okay. Sora would find them, bring them home, and help get their lives back together, leaving this all behind them.</p><p>Now he just had to wait for Kairi to wake up. And figure out… how to... talk to her…</p><p>That night, he didn’t sleep a wink.</p><p>The mayor wore a dark women’s business suit, having attended an emergency meeting before her departure. She arrived at the airport around 1 PM, and to the hospital about an hour later. Sora got her voicemail again that morning, but left a message saying that they would wait for her in the waiting area. So the moment she saw Sora, she rushed to him, bowing deeply at the waist.</p><p>“<em>Sora, thank you so much!”</em> She gushed. <em>“I’m so sorry you had to do this!”</em></p><p>“<em>It’s ok!” </em>He assured, waving her off. <em>“I wanted to find her too!”</em></p><p>Yuffie was dressed in civvies today, so when she stood to indicate she was with Sora, the mayor jumped with a start, bowing with an apology for not noticing her. Yuffie quickly did the same, and took the lead to Kairi’s room. Sora had never seen the usually composed mayor so flustered and nervous before. But she became more anxious the closer they got to Kairi’s room. And the moment they walked in and saw her, the woman sighed with a whoosh, clutching at her chest with an aching relief. She hurried to her bedside, instantly smoothing her hair and fussing over her as tears spilled over. Sora had to look away and rub at his eyes to keep his own from falling.</p><p>“<em>Want me to call the doctor?”</em> He asked her when she calmed a little.</p><p>“<em>Wait,”</em> she said. She switched her attention to dabbing at her eyes and cleaning her face with the nearby tissues. When she finished wiping her nose, she nodded her consent, and he went outside to find someone, because he had forgotten about the call button beside the bed.</p><p>“<em>Who are you?”</em> The nurse asked when she came in.</p><p>“<em>Her mother.”</em></p><p>She raised her brows, looking once at Kairi.</p><p>The mayor sighed- a brief, but very exhausted sound.<em> “Adopted.”</em></p><p>“<em>I see. Please fill out these forms,” </em>She said, handing her a clipboard and indicating the seats.</p><p>The mayor nodded, and took a seat, setting down the small purse she had brought with her. She filled in the forms perfunctorily, but her eyes still shone red, and her lips pressed thin in worry. She pulled out an insurance card to add to the clipboard. Once the nurse took the forms, she let them know the doctor would be with them shortly, and left. The mayor was quiet, looking over her daughter’s face.</p><p>“<em>...she looks so peaceful. I almost don’t want to wake her up,”</em> she confessed.</p><p>Sora looked at her worriedly, then at Kairi as he thought about the statement. <em>Would</em> it be better to let the girl sleep until things were better? Or would it just make things harder in the long run?</p><p>The doctor came in shortly after, carrying a yellow manila file.</p><p>“<em>Hello,” </em>he greeted. “<em>I’m Dr. Kinamoto. We spoke on the phone.</em>”</p><p>“<em>Hello.”</em> She stood quickly and bowed to him in greeting, and he did the same. <em>“Is Kairi </em><em>alright</em><em>?”</em></p><p>He glanced once at Sora and Yuffie. <em>“Are you alright with them being here?”</em></p><p>“<em>Yes,” </em>She said instantly, her whole body nodding. <em>“He can stay.”</em> And then she did a double take at Yuffie. <em>“Oh! I’m so sorry, I completely forgot...”</em></p><p>Sora jumped in remembrance. “<em>Oh, right!”</em> He turned to her, switching to English. “Sorry, Yuffie, can you give us some privacy?”</p><p>“Not to worry, I’ll be right outside making some calls.” She saluted with a smile, and walked out to do just that.</p><p>The doctor dragged aside the chair Yuffie had been in so that he could sit across from them. He held the file loosely in his hand. <em>“Your daughter has sustained brain damage from a concussion and oxygen deprivation.”</em></p><p>“<em>Brain damage?” </em>Her hands clenched. <em>“Is it bad?”</em></p><p>“<em>We don’t think so. The MRI showed swelling, but no severe damage. Her respiratory system is still functioning, and we think the brain is just healing itself. She should make a full recovery, but we have no idea when.”</em></p><p>She and Sora both sighed with relief.</p><p>“<em>However, the problem is the damage she sustained to her abdomen. She took an impalement from debris in the tsunami.”</em></p><p>They both gasped. The mayor clutched at her stomach as though in physical pain, and Sora gaped in horror. After a moment of silence, he turned demanding. <em>“Well? Is she ok?”</em></p><p>“<em>We did remove the protrusion,”</em> He assured. <em>“But the damage was extensive.” </em>He opened the file, and flipped up the first page to show a simple anatomical diagram. He took a pen from his breast pocket and circled the area of her belly. <em>“We had to remove a lot of her small intestine and a bit of her large intestine. We have about a quarter of it leftover.”</em></p><p>The mayor covered her mouth with one hand, and Sora used both as he keeled over.</p><p>“<em>The small intestine is responsible for much of the absorption of nutrients from our food,” </em>The doctor continued. <em>“She’ll have a hard time getting the nutrients she needs from eating. It hasn’t been an issue because she’s been on an IV the past few months, but if she wakes up any time soon, she’s going to face malnutrition and starvation until her body gives out.”</em></p><p>The mayor burst into tears, her composure failing her. Sora felt the entire weight of the world knocked out from under his feet. He went into a nearly dizzying free fall as the full scope of events hit him. This couldn’t be happening. This couldn’t be <em>happening</em>! Not after everything they had done, not after all the time he’d spent looking for her!</p><p>The doctor looked to the mayor seriously, weighing his next words carefully. After minute, when the worst of the cries had quieted, he said:<em> “There’s a </em><em><b>small</b></em><em> chance. If there’s a match for an intestinal donation, then she’ll be able to live.”</em> The doctor sighed. <em>“I’m sorry, most people wait for a year for an intestinal donation, especially for someone her size. If she wakes up any time soon, we don’t think she’ll make it in time.”</em></p><p>The harsh beeping of the machine broke through the mayor’s heavy sobbing. Even a dead silence might have been less suffocating.</p><p>“<em>Intestinal….”</em> Sora spoke up hesitantly, confusedly. <em>“Donation?”</em></p><p>“<em>When someone is pronounced dead or brain dead, their organs can be given to others who might need them.”</em></p><p>A beat of letting this sink in. And then:<em>“So you...”</em> he grimaced in disapproval. <em>“Take from someone’s body after they’ve died?”</em></p><p>The doctor sighed again. He was well used to this Japanese reaction. It was the whole reason organ donations were rare here. <em>“Yes. If the organs are taken and quickly transferred into someone who needs it, it could still potentially function for years. But very few people decide to give their consent for donations, and fewer families want to give their consent for loved ones after they’ve passed. If you want to try finding a donation in America, you might have a better chance, but I’m not sure how willing they’ll be for someone who’s comatose.”</em></p><p>“<em>I couldn’t leave anyway,” </em>The mayor lamented, shaking her head hopelessly. <em>“I have so much to do.”</em></p><p>The doctor sighed sympathetically. He could only imagine the pain facing her at home. <em>“I’ll refer you to the transplantation center so you can try to register her. I’m sorry she lost so much, otherwise you might have found a living donor.”</em></p><p>“<em><b>Living</b></em><em>!?” </em>Sora looked at the doctor with utter confusion.<em>“You mean you take organs out of people still </em><em><b>alive</b></em><em>?”</em></p><p>“<em>You </em><em><b>can</b></em><em> live without certain organs,” </em>The doctor assured.<em>“A kidney, a lung, part of your pancreas. You can even donate some of your small intestine. The problem with her is that it’s so much, we’d have to take almost half, and you’d run the risk of short bowel syndrome. Basically putting the donor in the same position she’s in now.”</em></p><p>“<em>Is that so...”</em></p><p>The mayor, who had been listening thoughtfully, clutched at her stomach. Her brows furrowed, and the doctor caught her look.</p><p>“<em>Are you the same blood type?”</em></p><p>She sighed like she was about to cry again, letting her hand fall. “No.”</p><p>“<em>You probably still couldn’t do it. The organ has to be either smaller, or the same size. She would likely need a teenage donor.”</em></p><p>Sora looked to her sympathetically, and then looked longingly at Kairi.</p><p>Outside, Private Yuffie was on the hospital phone with the staff sergeant, relaying all that had happened so far.</p><p>“So it really is her...” He mused quietly to himself before speaking up again. “If her mother’s claimed her, then we don’t really have a reason to stay.”</p><p>She frowned a bit, although she had been expecting this. “I don’t know, Sir, it doesn’t seem right to just leave like this. I think something else is going on.”</p><p>“It’s too bad it’s not on your own time,” He said matter-of-factually. “Otherwise you could stay longer.”</p><p>Yuffie, well-versed in Leonspeak at this point, straightened instantly, saluting smartly. “Formally requesting permission for time off, Sergeant Leonhart<em>Sir</em>!”</p><p>“Permission granted,” he humored, and she could hear the smirk in his voice. “You’ll still have to come back for the paperwork.”</p><p>“Aw, c’mon!” She whined, slumping forward. “Can’t you do it for me?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“Fine. But if I miss anything, it’s on you!”</p><p>“I’ll keep that in mind.”</p><p>That night, as Sora curled up in bed, he clutched the thalassa necklace tight in his hand, delicate chain dangling out as he remembered that night. The earthquake had left everything in shambles, leaving Sora with seeing everything familiar and beloved gone and ruined. He and Kairi had split off, racing towards their respective homes until he finally reached his beloved apartment building. What had been fine and whole when he left it barely an hour ago was literally a pile of rubble that people were tiredly trudging their way out of. Sora squinted in the night, trying to make any of the shadows look like his mom and dad.</p><p>“<em>P</em><em>a</em><em>!”</em></p><p>He clambered onto the rooftop rubble, and his father stopped his digging to turn at the call.</p><p>“Sora!” He sighed as he held his son in a tight hug. Sora could feel the dust on him, even if he couldn’t see it that well in the darkness. “Thank God!” He said in English. “You didn’t answer me, I thought-”</p><p>“<em>Where’s Ma?”</em> Sora asked in Japanese.</p><p>“<em>Here,</em>” he said, hastily pulling away to pry up another piece of rubble. <em>“She’s here-!”</em></p><p>Sora helped with digging, working with his father to pull off the heavier pieces and cast them away. He called for her, trying to listen for any whispers of her voice in the silence. As his eyes adjusted in the darkness, he saw the outlines better, and finally, <em>finally</em>, saw the outline of a hand. He shoved away the piece of drywall he was holding and lunged for her. <em>“Ma-!”</em></p><p>But his reunion was aborted, his father grabbing his shoulders and pushing him back before he could reach her. <em>“Sora, you have to run to Mt. Onna!”</em></p><p>Sora gaped, startled, but looked back down at the hand peeking out from under the drywall. <em>“But Ma’s right-”</em></p><p>“<em>We’ll be fine!”</em> He said, shoving the boy aside. Sora lost his balance and stumbled down the rubble pile. <em>“But you have to go, now!”</em></p><p>He scraped his shin and hands as he went down. Once he got some footing again, he turned back around, baffled. <em>“But-!”</em></p><p>“<em><b>RUN</b></em><em>, SORA!” </em>He bellowed. “<em>Run and don’t look back!”</em></p><p>He jumped, and stumbled around into a sprint, all of his track club instincts kicking in to obey his father’s orders. Despite not understanding, he still sensed the urgency, and had grabbed Kairi’s wrist without thinking as he tried to drag her with him to safety.</p><p>The slow down cost him. The wave caught up to them both, nearly drowning them, and dragging her away before he could save her.</p><p>“<em>Sora!”</em></p><p>“<em>Kai-!” Choke-!</em></p><p>And now he knew that after he lost her, she had been dragged away for who knew how long, and hit her head, and been <em>impaled</em>, and-</p><p>He didn’t know what the future would bring. He didn’t know how they were going to live their lives. But he did know one thing: he couldn’t imagine it without Kairi.</p><p>The next day, as the two arrived without Yuffie back to the hospital, Sora went up to the front desk.</p><p>“<em>I need to speak with Dr. Kinamoto.”</em></p><p>“<em>We can call him. </em><em>May</em><em> I ask what it’s about?”</em></p><p>“<em>I want to donate my organ. Ask him how I can do that.”</em></p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Broken Pasts</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello, everyone! Thanks so much for your wait time- life really got me down the last couple months, but I'm back! Now let's try to finish this up, shall we? :D</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next few days were probably the most suspenseful of Sora's life.</p><p>He and the mayor were referred to the Kumamoto University Transplantation center. After Sora had to convince the mayor he was sure of his decision.</p><p>"<em>Sora, you don't have to do this. You're friends, but this is a big thing. Kairi will understand-"</em></p><p>"<em>I know. But this might be our only chance to save her."</em> he pointed out. <em>"I have to try."</em></p><p>At the consultation Sora was given a run down of all possible complications, both short term and long term, to be sure he understood what he was getting into.</p><p>"<em>It's ok,"</em> he said as the mayor started to worry. <em>"I mean, I survived this much!"</em> He joked, flexing an arm. <em>"What's one more thing headed my way?"</em></p><p>It was at that point the mayor suddenly wondered if instead of his romantic feelings for her, like she suspected, this decision was fueled by the youthful illusion of invincibility. But at sixteen years old, he was legally allowed to make this decision- she couldn't very well stop him.</p><p>(And the truth was, she didn't truly want to. How could she, when there was a ray of hope for her baby girl?)</p><p>"<em>We won't have to take half,"</em> The specialist assured as she went over the charts with them. <em>"We just need enough to get over the threshold. That will still leave you with more than half and lessen the chance of complication</em><em>s </em><em>on his end</em><em>."</em></p><p>Sora couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Just because he wanted to do this didn't mean he <em>wanted</em> his life to be hard.</p><p>"<em>If the tests clear, we'd like to monitor her here from now on,"</em> the specialist went on to the mayor. <em>"If there's any chance of her waking up soon, we'd like to wait until she can get some strength back before performing the surgery. And risks are significantly higher in her case even after the surgery, so she will need people checking on her constantly."</em></p><p>The mayor nodded. <em>"I understand."</em></p><p>It was hard to be patient as they went through each of the tests needed to check their compatibility. There were blood tests, x-rays, and even a psychological evaluation. He almost didn't pass it, the evaluator too worried that his experience in the disaster, and teenage hormones were making him act too rashly. But given that he clearly understood the consequences, and comprehended the information given to him, there was no other means by which he could say no.</p><p>As each test cleared and confirmed their hopes, the final stretch became all the more nerve wracking. Yet with each "pass" his resolve strengthened. Finally, after the few tense days of waiting, he was cleared.</p><p>"<em>The results of the final blood test are in. Her antigens haven't rejected you."</em></p><p>It was almost too good to be true.</p><p>"<em>Kairi, </em><em>guess what!</em><em> We're a match!"</em> He squeezed her hand, flooded with relief as they went to see her again. <em>"You're gonna be ok!"</em></p><p>"<em>Sora,"</em> The mayor cut in, tears in her eyes as she squeezed his arm. <em>"I can't thank you enough."</em></p><p>"<em>Don't worry about it."</em> He assured, and offered a smile. <em>"I'd do anything for her."</em></p><p>Kairi remained silent.</p><p>"Ok guys!" Sora plucked his trusty little cut outs from Kairi's bedside table. "This is it! If anything happens to me, I'm counting on you to look after Kairi!"</p><p>"Don't say that, Sora!" Goofy dramatically pleaded.</p><p>"Yeah, you'll make it out alright!" Donald "agreed". "You gotta!"</p><p>"Donald!" Sora gasped in faux shock. "Does this mean you care about me? Will you help heal me when I get out of surgery?"</p><p>"Nah!" He quacked. "You're on your own."</p><p>"Hmph, thanks a lot!"</p><p>Unfortunately, Yuffie had only been allowed a couple days, and the army was strict about time off. Leon fudged the paper work given the circumstances, but they couldn't stretch it forever. She was able to stay with him during the tests and give him encouragement through each one, but that was about it.</p><p>"Hey, Sora," Yuffie spoke to him, holding out her cell to him. "We wanted to talk to you before I left."</p><p>He took the phone curiously and held it up to his ear. Then smiled when he heard a chorus of hellos from the other end.</p><p>"Hey there." Leon greeted.</p><p>"Hi Sora!" Aerith chirped.</p><p>"You goin' into surgery, kid?" Cid asked.</p><p>He laughed a little, the tension in his chest easing a bit. "Yep! I'm all cleared!"</p><p>"That's a pretty big thing you're doing," Leon said, and Sora realized that was probably the closest the man would ever get to complimenting him.</p><p>"Hang in there, alright?" Aerith encouraged.</p><p>"You best be lookin' out for yourself!" Cid warned. "That surgery ain't no joke!"</p><p>"I will," he promised. "And when this is over, you'll all get to meet Kairi, too!"</p><p>"We look forward to it," Cloud humored.</p><p>"I might be coming up soon," Aerith assured. "I'll help look after you while you recover."</p><p>Sora's brows shot up. "You don't have to do that."</p><p>"We know," Leon cut in. "But we may as well check on you to make sure you make it out alive."</p><p>Yuffie smiled. "That's Leon speak for: we're worried about you!"</p><p>There was laughter from the other end (not, of course, from Leon), and Sora's eyes stung with tears. He was immensely grateful that none of the others could see him.</p><p>Yuffie gave the mayor her number, as well as Leon's, to help keep in touch while gone.</p><p>The surgery was scheduled a month out. Enough time to hope for Kairi to awaken, but not too long to risk her wasting away even more. The mayor was always busy making calls, and now that she was up in Kumamoto, she was finally able to go out and buy a laptop. Sora could see the stress her work brought first hand, and was surprised she was even being "allowed" away for this long. But being next to her daughter soothed the stress and ache the last few months had brought her, so she fought to stay nearby. While they were up, she also went ahead and bought Sora a flip phone.</p><p>"There. Now you can keep in touch with all your friends."</p><p>"<em>Miss Mayor, I...</em>" He looked at the phone in his hands with awe, and stared up wide-eyed at her. <em>"Is this really okay? </em><em>Don't you have to pay for it?</em><em>"</em></p><p>She shook her head quickly, gently touching his shoulder. <em>"Don't worry about it. Your parents can take the plan once we find them."</em></p><p>He was immensely grateful, and used his free time not talking to Kairi to do just that. He switched between phone calls and emails to make it over country borders, and about two weeks later managed to rope in a visit from a couple of friends.</p><p>"Donald! Goofy!" He cried joyously as they walked into the room. He jumped up and rushed to hug them both. "You made it!"</p><p>"<em>Goofy</em>?" The mayor blinked.</p><p>Sora went red, releasing them both and backtracking from his friends as he sent the taller man a bashful smile. "I mean… Glover! Hi..."</p><p>Glover, for his part, laughed. "Hey there kid. Glad you're hangin' in there."</p><p>They really could only stay for a few hours, but Sora was grateful regardless. After being stuck in a room with a busy business woman and a comatose girl, he was thankful to have extra company.</p><p>"What are those?"</p><p>Sora followed Glover's eyes to Kairi's bedside table, where his little cut outs sat expectantly. Sora blushed and whipped back around. "Nothing!"</p><p>Donald leaned forward with a heavy squint. "Are those supposed to be <em>Donald and Goofy</em>?"</p><p>"No!"</p><p>"Lemme see!" Glover leaned over to reach them and Sora squawked with panic.</p><p>"No!" He cried desperately, reaching for them first. "No, it's nothing! They're just little things I made!"</p><p>Of course, Glover was taller so he was able to grab Sora's hands and lift them up and look at them. "Oh my gosh, they are!"</p><p>Sora's entire face, neck and ears burned beat red, and he buried his face in his fists.</p><p>"Oh come on, let me see! I promise I won't laugh."</p><p>Sora begrudgingly handed them over, letting his head fall forward in his shame. Glover looked them over with some amusement, before handing Donald the little Duck.</p><p>"Heya, Donald!" Goofy greeted in his signature drawl, hopping the little cut-out up and down. "How'dya like Japan so far?"</p><p>The human glared at his friend. "I am <em>not</em> doing this."</p><p>"Aw, come on, Donald!" Goofy pleaded, nudging the other little cut out with his own. "Let's spread some joy an' cheer!"</p><p>"I can't even do the voice!"</p><p>"Tha's alright! It's what's in your heart that counts!"</p><p>Donald groaned, Sora giggled hysterically, and the Mayor was just staring at the taller man in amazement.</p><p>"...Alright, fine!" he ground out, before starting to hop his little cut-out too. "Gee, Goofy, Japan's great! Sucks I have to pretend to be a piece of paper, though."</p><p>Sora laughed, still-red faced, but feeling a little better about the whole thing. Now that the other two were there, Sora's banter was about ten times more fun. They had lively conversations, and even sang a tune or two, just to keep each other on their toes.</p><p>"I'm glad to see you're doin' alright, Sora," Glover said, as they prepared to leave.</p><p>"Yeah, I'm ok. Once Kairi's awake, we'll finally be able to go back home."</p><p>They didn't say anything then, but nodded understandingly as he pat his shoulder.</p><p>It was an extremely tense surgery for Kairi's mother, who could only wait in the silence. She wrung her hands as she worried, sending a silent prayer of regret to Sora's parents. <em>'Please, forgive me for not stopping him!'</em></p><p>The surgery itself went well enough. Both patients lay in the recovery room closely monitored as they waited for Sora's anesthetic to wear off. Kairi was kept on oxygen to be safe, since they couldn't guarantee her breathing otherwise. When Sora finally petered his way into the waking world, he seemed disoriented.</p><p>"<em>What's wrong with him?"</em> The mayor asked, heart dropping as he mumbled out nonsense. <em>"Is he alright?"</em></p><p>"<em>He's reacting to the anesthesia,"</em> The nurse answered. <em>"He's alright."</em> She snapped at him raised her voice to get his attention. <em>"Sora? Sora can you hear me? Please take a deep breath!"</em></p><p>He obeyed, but he frowned in confusion as he did so. <em>"Ma…?</em><em> Ma izzat you? Shouldn't I be at school by now? I should be at school… man I'm prob'ly gonna flunk..."</em></p><p>As Kairi began to stir, she was aware of voices. She vaguely recognized Sora's voice, though in her dazed state couldn't make sense of what he was saying. Her mother didn't notice her twitching, too focused on Sora and terrified she had inadvertently doomed him to a horrible state of permanent disorientation. But when she heard the sheets shifting as Kairi moved she whipped her head around again.</p><p>"<em>Kairi!"</em></p><p>The girl finally grimaced her eyes open, as the pain in her abdomen awoke her. Her mother grabbed her hand, crying out with relief.</p><p>"<em>Kairi, you're awake!"</em></p><p>"<em>Ma..."</em> she murmured, and took a pained, shaky breath before blinking her eyes for more lucidity. There was another woman hovering over her, taking her face and suddenly shining a tiny flashlight in it, making her wince and squeeze her eyes shut.</p><p>"<em>Kairi, can you hear me?"</em></p><p>"<em>Yes?"</em> She answered hoarsely in confusion, then crossed her eyes at the oxygen mask on her face.</p><p>"<em>You're in the hospital right now, Kairi."</em> The woman answered, shutting the light off. She gently undid the oxygen mask from her head. <em>"Do you remember what happened?"</em></p><p>"<em>No. Why am I-"</em> And then she stopped, the answers clicking into place. <em>"The tsunami."</em></p><p>"<em>That's right."</em> She said gently. <em>"You hit your head and went under water."</em></p><p>She winced. <em>"</em><em>I remember."</em> She looked at her mother suddenly, voice still hoarse but gaining a little more strength. <em>"Sora. Where's Sora? He tried to save me but we got separated, is he-?"</em></p><p>"<em>Sora's fine, try not to get too excited,"</em> Her mother warned gently, firmly putting her hand on her shoulders. <em>"You just got out of surgery. You got really hurt."</em></p><p>"<em>Oh..."</em></p><p>"<em>Kairi?"</em></p><p>"<em>Sora!"</em> She turned, instantly relieved once she saw him. <em>"Sora, are you ok?"</em></p><p>"'<em>M fine, Kairi,"</em> He slurred. <em>"I's lookin' for you forever. M' glad you're finally… here… my stomach hurts..."</em></p><p>The beeping next to his bedside grew worse. The nurse, who had come to Kairi's bedside to help monitor her, rushed back over to his bedside to check his vitals. Sora gingerly reached up to hold his stomach, face tightening with pain. The nurse rushed to the door.</p><p>"<em>He's </em><em>hemorrhaging</em><em>!"</em> She exclaimed down the hall. <em>"We have to get him back to surgery!"</em></p><p>"<em>He's what?" </em>Kairi asked, as the mayor's hand flew to her mouth.<em> "What does that mean?"</em></p><p>"<em>It means he's bleeding internally."</em></p><p>Kairi gasped, looking to Sora fearfully, even as a prepared stretcher wheeled into the room. <em>"</em><em>Sora?"</em> Kairi gasped, her heart dropping as his head wobbled, and he slipped off from consciousness. <em>"Sora, what's wrong? </em><em>Please talk to me! </em><em>Sora? Sora!"</em></p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Broken Healing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As they awaited results from his second surgery, Kairi's mother had to fill her in on what happened. It put Kairi in a state of shock. At first she was reeling at the fact that she'd been in a coma for almost four months, and then at the fact that Sora had given her a part of himself to keep her alive.</p><p>"<em>So it wasn't a dream..."</em> She murmured to herself.</p><p>It was another waiting game to let the anesthetic wear off of him a second time. Kairi's bed had been propped up to allow her to sit upright, recovering her strength one second at a time. The mayor held onto Kairi's hand every waking moment, like she was afraid to let go. Except, that is, when the nurses brought a small paper cup of ice chips for her to suck on, when she told them she was thirsty. The mayor filled in Kairi's questions of what was going on at home, and what she and Sora had been doing to help with the rebuilding efforts, trying to fill in the gaps. She gently told her the extent of the damage, trying not to shock her again, so Kairi was able to ease into the reality of the situation.</p><p>Her entire home… destroyed...</p><p>Kairi didn't know the first thing about "building" anything- what was she even going to do? Follow her mother around and learn from her? Hand out supplies like Sora had apparently been doing?</p><p>She really didn't know, and all the what-ifs just made the situation all the more overwhelming.</p><p>Time passed, and Sora awoke again, this time even more disoriented. Or so it seemed. He remembered everyone at least, even if he was speaking nonsense to them all. If the situation hadn't been so dire, Kairi might have found it funny. But she couldn't, the memory of him slipping off into unconsciousness and being wheeled off to another surgery too fresh for her.</p><p>"<em>Can I sit with him?"</em> She asked the nurse.</p><p>The nurse seemed to consider her request carefully. And then: <em>"Alright. Let me help."</em></p><p>She brought a chair over to his bedside, then lowered her bed frame to help her up. Kairi was shocked at how difficult it was for her to stand- not just from the surgery, but in general. Her legs felt like they would buckle any moment. The nurse eased her down, bringing her IV over beside her, giving Kairi free reign to reach out and take his hand.</p><p>She was so thin. Now holding his hand within hers, she could see the difference clear as day, and it shocked her. She had already been slim before the disaster, now she was practically skin and bones. No wonder she hadn't been able to stand before- she would be surprised if she had any muscle <em>left</em>.</p><p>A new stomach, and no strength. She really <em>was</em> lucky to be alive.</p><p>But… did donating an organ to her strengthen his romantic feelings for her?</p><p>She gently squeezed his hand, already tearing up and hoping that wasn't the case. He'd already done so much for her, she'd <em>hate</em> to have to reject him a second time. She prayed with every fiber of her being: please, <em>please</em> let him be over me!</p><p>She just wanted her friend back.</p><p>Sora blinked, stirring at the sound of a sniffle and turning to her. <em>"Kairi? Kairi what's wrong?"</em></p><p>"<em>Oh, nothing, I just..."</em> she quickly wiped at her eyes. <em>"I just really missed you!"</em></p><p>He smiled at her- but with the anesthetic, it looked a little lopsided and goofy. <em>"Don' be sad, Kairi. We'll always be together! </em><em>For f</em><em>orever, </em><em>now</em><em>! I'll always be with you!"</em></p><p>She did giggle, then winced from the pain. But she didn't mind too much, glad to see a little of his memory returning. <em>"Yeah. Together forever."</em></p><p>It took another nap for Sora to completely shake off the medicine and come back to the world of the living. When he did, he was greeted with multiple faces smiling down at him and checking him over.</p><p>"<em>Are y</em><em>ou feeling alright?"</em> The nurse asked.</p><p>"<em>Yeah,"</em> He answered.<em>"How's Kairi? Did her body take the organ?"</em></p><p>"<em>It has so far. And she's also doing well,"</em> She smiled at him.</p><p>"<em>Oh, that's good." </em>He sighed with relief and closed his eyes for a moment to relax. But then he realized someone was holding his hand, so he stared at it and frowned in confusion. Then he looked up at the person holding it, and blinked blankly.</p><p>Kairi smiled. <em>"Morning, sleepyhead. You gonna waste the whole day away?"</em></p><p>His mouth parted, and he gaped openly like a fish for a moment as he processed her face. Then yelped with shock as he pointed at her. <em>"Kairi! You're awake!"</em></p><p>The nurse and mayor started to giggle at his clear shock.</p><p>"<em>Yup,"</em> she chirped. <em>"Glad to see you recognized me."</em></p><p>He whipped up suddenly, much to the nurse's displeasure. <em>"</em><em>I thought you'd still be asleep! </em><em>When did you wake up?"</em></p><p>"<em>A few hours ago, right after surgery. Guess it was my turn to wait."</em></p><p>There was a quiet moment where he just stared at her in shock, a deeply wound tension in his chest easing at the sight of her talking and awake. And then he reached out to her, grabbing her shoulders and pulling her in for a hug. <em>"I'm so glad you're ok!"</em> He gushed into her shoulder. <em>"I was afraid you'd </em><em><strong>never</strong></em><em> wake up!"</em></p><p>She closed her eyes, and hugged him back gratefully. <em>"I had a bit of a scare too. I was afraid I was gonna lose you when they had to wheel you away."</em></p><p>"<em>Huh?" </em>He pulled back to look at her questioningly. <em>"Whadyou mean?"</em></p><p>"<em>Something went wrong with the surgery the first time. They had to hurry you back into the operating room to fix it."</em></p><p>"<em>O-oh..."</em> he winced. A beat. <em>"… Am… am I ok </em><em><strong>now</strong></em><em>?"</em></p><p>"<em>I..." </em>she tilted her head slightly in thought. <em>"I think so?"</em></p><p>Then they both turned to the nurse, looking at her with a mixture of alarm and worry.</p><p>She smiled in a placating manner to them. "<em>We'll watch you and make sure everything is alright. </em><em>But we've already fixed the </em><em>tear</em><em>, so everything should be fine now."</em></p><p>Two sighs of relief. Then Sora realized he was still holding onto her, and snapped his arms back with a blush. He rubbed the back of his neck, looking down and away from her, but Kairi seemed unperturbed, tilting her head down as she tried to catch his eye.</p><p>"<em>How're you feeling?"</em></p><p>"<em>Pretty good. I mean," </em>he put a hand on his belly and winced.<em> "My stomach hurts a little, but it's not too bad. You?"</em></p><p>"<em>Mine too." </em>she mirrored his move. <em>"I guess that's normal, considering."</em></p><p>"<em>Heh, yeah..."</em></p><p>"<em>Kairi," </em>The nurse gently touched her shoulder.<em> "I know you want to see him, but it's been a few hours since you've been sitting. I think you should lay down."</em></p><p>"<em>Oh, ok," </em>she relented, then smiled at him. <em>"I'll see you soon."</em></p><p>"<em>It's not like we'll be apart. You're just going over there."</em></p><p>"<em>Oh."</em> This time it was her turn to blush, and she smiled sheepishly to Sora. <em>"Right, I forgot."</em></p><p>He just chuckled.</p><p>They settled in for a bit, and the room became quiet- Kairi realizing just how tired she really was, and Sora wanting to let her sit back and rest. The room was quiet, until the doctor arrived.</p><p>This doctor was a little younger than the last one, with dark brown hair and a slightly taller physique. He nodded at everyone in greeting, and smiled warmly at Kairi.</p><p>"<em>Hello,"</em> he greeted.</p><p>"<em>Hello,"</em> she greeted, bowing back.</p><p>"<em>I'm Dr. Hashino. I performed your surgery."</em></p><p>"<em>Oh, hello."</em></p><p>"<em>How are you feeling?"</em></p><p>"<em>I'm alright."</em></p><p>"<em>Have you had anything to drink?"</em></p><p>"<em>No. The nurses gave me a little ice earlier."</em></p><p>"<em>If possible, I'd like you to try to drink water tonight, even if it's just a few sips. If you can manage, I'd like to start you on some broth tomorrow. Normally, I'd take it slower, but given how weak your body is right now, I think you should try to take in nutrients as soon as possible. No one was expecting you to be awake so soon after surgery."</em></p><p>She nodded. <em>"I understand. I'll try to drink a little tonight."</em></p><p>"<em>Good. Tomorrow we're going to start you on a set of new medications. I'll give your mother a list to help you keep track."</em></p><p>As he went over all the medications, their purposes and the necessary timetables for each of them, Sora wondered if Kairi was really going to be all right. Sure, she was awake and living now, but all of this sounded so <em>hard</em>. A couple of the medications would only be for a couple months, however, so he took small solace in that.</p><p>Kairi, however, seemed overwhelmed. She was quiet as she listened, wondering how she was going to keep track of all this.</p><p>Sora, seeing her face and mood, brightened up automatically. <em>"Don't worry, Kairi, you'll get the hang of it! I'll even help you keep track of it, if you like."</em></p><p>The three looked at him, and Kairi looked dubious. <em>"Sora, you can't even keep track of your own grades. How are you supposed to help me?"</em></p><p>"<em>Hey, I'll have you know I've gotten a lot more responsible since the last time you saw me."</em> He argued, jabbing his chest with his thumb. <em>"I can keep track of anything."</em></p><p>"<em>That's good,"</em> the doctor said. <em>"You'll need that to keep track of your own."</em></p><p>"<em>Wha</em>- <em><strong>me</strong></em><em>!</em>?" He clarified in shock. <em>"What do </em><em><strong>I</strong></em><em> need them for? I'm not the one with a new organ."</em></p><p>"<em>You'll need antibiotics to fight infection. Didn't they explain that to you at the consultation?"</em></p><p>It got quiet for a moment, before realization dawned on his face. <em>"Ooooooooh yeah I forgot..."</em></p><p>Kairi snorted, and let out a stream of giggles before she managed to speak again. <em>"Don't worry, Sora, you'll get the hang of it! I'll even help you keep track of it, if you like."</em></p><p>The mayor tried to hide her smile with her hand, though it was useless with how her shoulders shook. The doctor tried not to laugh, but failed in fighting down his smile or stop the snort. Sora blushed, and crossed his arms defensively as he looked away, but couldn't say anything in response.</p><p>Some time later, after the doctor left, Kairi had glanced over to see if Sora had stopped sulking yet. When she did, she noticed two white pieces of paper that had escaped her attention before.</p><p>"<em>What're these?" </em>She asked, plucking one up with each hand.</p><p>And of course, since Sora was still pouting, the mayor had to answer.<em>"That's Donald and Goofy."</em></p><p>"<em>Donald and..." </em>she looked to the two scribbled cut outs with with confusion.<em> "Goofy?"</em></p><p>"<em>Yes. Sora left them here. To look after you while he was in surgery."</em></p><p>She looked to him with surprise, though he still had his back to her. (Though now it was because he was blushing again.)</p><p>"<em>Sora..." </em>Then she smiled.<em> "You're so sweet."</em></p><p>"<em>K-!"</em> He choked as he whirled around, purely horrified.<em> "Kairi! Don't call me "sweet"! I'm a <strong>man</strong>! Use something <strong>manly</strong>!"</em></p><p>Kairi burst out laughing.<em> "Sora, you've got a lot of good traits, but "manly" is <strong>not</strong> one of them."</em></p><p>"<em>Wha-" </em>He reeled back, betrayed.<em> "I'm manly, I'm <strong>plenty</strong> manly! I don't even like sweets."</em></p><p>"<em>Sora, you still cry every time you watch Mufasa die."</em></p><p>"<em>It's a sad scene, ok!? Anyone who <strong>doesn't</strong> cry from that is just heartless."</em></p><p>"<em>Or just doesn't have a dad. Like me." </em>She stuck her tongue out with a wink.</p><p>He harrumphed, lacing his hands behind his head as he flopped back onto the bed<em>. "Ya know, sometimes I feel like you forget I'm a guy."</em></p><p>"<em>And sometimes, I <strong>know</strong> you forget I'm a girl. So we're even."</em></p><p>"<em>I wouldn't <strong>have</strong> to forget if you weren't such a tomboy."</em></p><p>"<em>Oh please, you're <strong>lucky</strong> I'm a tomboy. Otherwise you'd have no one to play with growing up."</em></p><p>"<em>Tha-" </em>he gaped at her with shock.<em> "That is <strong>so</strong> hurtful! I had Riku."</em></p><p>"<em>And <strong>who</strong> did you have to play with every time you and Riku fought?"</em></p><p>He sighed.<em> "<strong>You</strong>."</em></p><p>"<em>Exactly," </em>she pointed to her cheek with a cute tilt of her head.<em> "You should count yourself lucky to have such a wonderful friend like me."</em></p><p>"<em>Hmph! I count myself <strong>something</strong> alright."</em></p><p>"<em>You-!"</em></p><p>"<em>Is this a bad time?"</em></p><p>The nurse's voice startled them out of their bickering, and made them look positively contrite. They both blushed, glancing down bashfully. The mayor waved off her concern.</p><p>"<em>They're fine. This is normal for them."</em></p><p>"<em>I see." </em>She came in carrying two small paper cups. <em>"The doctor would like to see if they can drink."</em></p><p>The two took their drinks obediently, taking a couple small sips. Neither of them finished the whole cups, but the nurse didn't seem surprised at this. When she left, both Sora and Kairi took a moment to simply enjoy the comfortable silence.</p><p>Because truthfully, Sora <em>did</em> count himself lucky to have such a wonderful friend. She and Riku meant the world to him, and if he had lost her too, he wasn't sure what he'd do with himself. Maybe she would never return his feelings, and that was fine. He'd still do whatever it took to keep her alive.</p><p>Kairi, for her part, felt a great rush of relief from falling into their usual, playful banter. She had been so afraid things would be awkward between them, but even with everything going wrong, being around him helped everything feel normal. It made her feel so much better knowing that her best friend would always be by her side.</p><p>A few days after following what the doctor called a "clear liquid diet", both teens graduated to a "full liquid diet". They began to drink milk, and eat yogurt, and miso soup. Sora was eating smaller portions, but seemed to be slowly recovering his appetite. Kairi, however, was still struggling.</p><p>"<em>You need to eat,"</em> her mother whispered gently.</p><p>"<em>I know, Ma, but I'm not hungry,"</em> she argued. <em>"And I don't feel good if I eat too much at once."</em></p><p>Sora worried that maybe this was a sign that her body was rejecting the intestine after all. The doctor had said it could happen in the following weeks. But so far the nurses didn't seem alarmed.</p><p>They did urge the both of them to try to sit up more and move, even if it was just to walk across the room.</p><p>"<em>You will need to keep your muscles from atrophying,"</em> they explained. <em>"And a little exercise will help you recover from the surgery."</em></p><p>So they did, moving a little bit every few hours, one day at a time. And even just that tiny bit <em>exhausted</em> Kairi.</p><p>"<em>She's actually doing remarkably well,"</em> the doctor said, after a week. <em>"Given how long she was in a coma, we expected her to tak</em><em>e</em><em> longer to </em><em>heal</em><em>, but she's recovering </em><em>her energy much faster than we anticipated."</em></p><p>"<em>But, she's still struggling to eat." </em>The mayor argued.</p><p>"<em>That's normal after surgery. Sora's actually the one progressing faster than average."</em></p><p>Both Kairi and the mayor blinked, then looked to Sora. He was relieved, knowing now this meant Kairi was ok and this didn't indicate anything bad. Kairi harrumphed, putting her hands on her hips.</p><p>"<em>And here you are, making me look bad."</em></p><p>"<em>Guess I'm still a bottomless pit,"</em> he joked, patting his stomach. <em>"Even when it's not working right."</em></p><p>Kairi laughed, and the sheer relief that flooded the room made the journey a little bit easier.</p><p>"<em>Well, that's a good sign,"</em> The doctor smiled at him. <em>"I can give you a list of safe foods to eat the next few weeks, and as long as you follow it, you should be fine. </em><em>Give it to your mother so that she can help make your foods properly.</em><em>"</em></p><p>The mayor looked at the doctor in alarm. <em>"What's that?"</em></p><p>"<em>We'd like to keep Kairi here a little longer, given her state, but since Sora is progressing so well, I can clear him in a few days to go home."</em></p><p>"<em>Does he..."</em> she glanced at the boy, then back to him. <em>"Does he </em><em><strong>have</strong></em><em> to go?"</em></p><p>"<em>I would recommend he stay home from school and still get plenty of rest the next couple weeks, but he's not having any complications. He should be fine."</em></p><p>That was the point where <em>Sora</em> looked at him oddly, wondering just how much he knew about what was going on. Did he seriously think kids in the area were going to school already? When there were no working schools to go to?</p><p>"<em>No, Doctor, he…"</em> The mayor leaned forward, voice becoming a little more forceful. <em>"Does he </em><em><strong>have</strong></em><em> to </em><em><strong>go</strong></em><em>?"</em></p><p>The doctor gave pause, eyeing her with confusion as he spoke slowly. <em>"Well, if his parents want to keep him here a little longer to be sure, we could, but it's not really necessary. </em><em>I'd rather share this with them directly, but they haven't been by to visit.</em><em>"</em></p><p>She glanced to the boy in question, and unconsciously lowered her voice. <em>"Can we speak outside?"</em></p><p>Kairi watched the adults leave with some confusion. <em>"</em><em>What could she be wanting to talk to him about?"</em></p><p>Sora, on the other hand, knew <em>exactly</em> what the problem was. Despite all the cleaning efforts the past few months, things still weren't nearly ready enough to even begin rebuilding. Donations had poured in from all over the world to help, but that still didn't make rebuilding houses and stores and restaurants any faster. People had finally gotten some clean clothes, shoes, daily water, food, and even toys for little ones. But they were still on cots, or sleeping bags, or nothing at all. Many people had moved away from the town, trying to find shelter with relatives to try to get back on their feet, but there were still many people to worry about. And even if Sora was allowed to stay on base with a bed, there wouldn't exactly be anyone there to "take care of" him. Or, worse, he'd be forced to go back to one of the camps.</p><p>A horrible place for someone to go normally, and even worse for someone recovering from surgery.</p><p>It seemed Kairi, and the doctor, didn't understand that reality.</p><p>(In the doctor's defense, it was because he didn't <em>know</em> they had come from Kin Town. When they transferred hospitals, he had looked over their medical information, not their residential address. Had he known, he would have asked him to stay, since there was also the issue of there not being any functioning clinics, hospitals, or pharmacies within walking distance of the damage. Sora wouldn't be able to refill his medication.)</p><p>But Sora just smiled at her. <em>"</em><em>Probably to tell him that my parents are still missing."</em></p><p>"<em>Your what?!"</em> She gasped, whispering urgently under her voice. <em>"Your parents are… </em><em><strong>gone</strong></em><em>?"</em></p><p>"<em>I know they're still alive!"</em> He whispered back quickly, waving away her alarm. <em>"We just haven't found them yet. There's a lot of places to look through, you know? But still, kinda hard to take care of me when they're not there to do it."</em></p><p>Kairi was still shocked, frankly stunned that no one had shared this information with her yet. How was Sora so optimistic about it?</p><p>The mayor returned, face grim, as she approached Sora's bedside. <em>"Sora, </em><em>do you</em><em> know what insurance you </em><em>have</em><em>?"</em></p><p>"<em>Uh… not really,"</em> he winced, rubbing the back of his neck. <em>"Ma's the one that took care of all that."</em></p><p>"<em>Think hard, there must be something you can tell us."</em></p><p>He frowned a moment, trying to think back, but then had a moment of confusion. <em>"Wait, I thought I was staying for free."</em></p><p>"<em>You were. And you won't have to pay for the surgery. But that wasn't intended for an extended stay. We will need to pay if we're going to have you stay here."</em></p><p>Sora grimaced. <em>"Ah, ok… um, gimmie a minute,"</em> he pleaded, holding onto his head as he wracked his brain for any sort of information that might be useful.</p><p>But unfortunately, Sora had never paid attention to things like that. That was grown-up stuff, not things <em>he</em> had to worry about. He just had to focus on school and grades (which took plenty of time and concentration as is.) He couldn't remember a single iota of information on anything like that.</p><p>The mayor asked the doctor to give her a few hours while she made some phone calls, and she left the hospital to return to her hotel room. Kairi and Sora discussed the likelihood of her being able to find anything, and what would happen if she couldn't.</p><p>"<em>Dunno,"</em> Sora confessed as he lay back. He laced his hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. <em>"I guess I could ask Leon and the others to help with a couple things, but they'll probably be busy most of the time."</em></p><p>"<em>And those were… the army people you worked with, right?"</em></p><p>"<em>Yeah."</em> A beat. <em>"Oh that's right, I forgot you were asleep when I told you all that-"</em></p><p>As he relayed the description of his new friends to Kairi, the day passed relatively quickly. He had great stories and funny anecdotes to share with her, making her forget, once again, the gravity of the situation she was in.</p><p>Except of course when she had to take her medication and struggle to swallow down some food. That had been a pretty good reminder of her state.</p><p>Her mother didn't return until nightfall, and that was close to the end of visiting hours.</p><p>"<em>Sora, we found your family's insurance company,"</em> She informed him. <em>"They will be mailing the new cards and information here to you, since you're the only person accounted for. The hospital will take care of it once they receive it."</em></p><p>"<em>Well that's a relief. Guess I get to stay after all."</em></p><p>She did not seem relieved, however, her face still somber as she turned to her daughter. <em>"There is one other thing. Kairi, I… I am so sorry, but I cannot stay. I've been doing as much as I can from here, but the work is piling up, and it's getting harder and harder to do things long distance. I will have to return home. </em><em>The people are also getting restless.</em><em>"</em></p><p>Sora understood instantly, and couldn't help but pity her. The hardest part of this whole thing wasn't just the cleaning and rebuilding, it was the grief. That wholly, largely suffocating grief that swept through the camps and left you breathless. Even as things became the new "normal" there was a hollowness there you couldn't explain, a sense of pain and agony that was quiet, but palpable. Truth was, Sora had been starting to feel guilty lately for not being on the front lines anymore. Even a plain, dreary hospital was a leisure compared to home right now, and he felt like he was getting the easy life, even with his current "injury". He wondered sometimes how Leon and the others were faring, and how the people were faring, and if everyone was getting along okay without his friendly disposition and forced cheer.</p><p>And Sora just worked as a translator! He couldn't imagine the burden on the elected officials.</p><p>Kairi seemed worried for a moment, alarm passing for just a flash over her face. <em>"When will you leave?"</em></p><p>"<em>In a few days. I just booked the flight."</em> She reached out to squeeze her hand between hers. <em>"But I will call the hospital everyday to make sure you're alright. And if anything happens, I'll book a flight right away and-"</em></p><p>"<em>Ma, Ma, it's ok, it's ok!"</em> Kairi protested, bringing on a smile. <em>"The doctors say I'm doing ok. I've been eating better and my energy is coming back. You just focus on fixing home, ok? I'll be alright."</em></p><p>"<em>And hey-!"</em> Sora couldn't help but lean over his railing, eyes bright and smile big as he pointed to his face. <em>"Once I'm a little better, I can help take care of her too! She's in good hands."</em></p><p>Kairi sighed. <em>"Sora, we've been over this, you can't take care of </em><em><strong>anyone</strong></em><em>."</em></p><p>"<em>Well, I can try! How hard can it be?"</em></p><p>The mayor took a deep breath- a deep, bone-tired breath as a small sense of relief eased her troubled mind. As long as they stayed together, she was sure they'd keep each other cheerful through this recovery.</p><p>As promised, Aerith came up to visit after a couple weeks, especially after hearing about the hemorrhaging scare. Sora spoke a long time with Leon and the others, having to assure them repeatedly of how well he was doing and that his recovery was going smoothly, but they seemed unconvinced. So Aerith made her arrival, and introduced herself warmly to Kairi. The girl couldn't help but notice the enameled pins on her bag.</p><p>"Are those Merlin and the Fairy Godmother?"</p><p>"Why, yes!" The woman smiled. "They're my favorite!"</p><p>"Oh, I <em>love</em> Cinderella! Have you seen the sequels?"</p><p>"Of course!"</p><p>Sora smiled, glad to see them hitting it off like he figured they would. Since Kairi was as much of a Disney nerd as he was, she was naturally able to talk to the new girl about it.</p><p>"I can't believe you're in the army." Kairi admitted after a while, as she looked at her. "You just look so… girly!"</p><p>Admittedly, Sora was a little surprised as well. He was only used to seeing her in camouflage. Now seeing her sporting a red jacket and pink dress was almost shocking.</p><p>"What? A girl can't be strong <em>and</em> feminine?" She countered, but it was in gentle teasing.</p><p>Kairi gasped softly, hands at her cheeks as she beamed at Sora. "<em>I like her</em>!" She said in Japanese.</p><p>"<em>I knew you would</em>," Sora grinned.</p><p>Aerith smiled mischievously. "<em>Thank you!</em>"</p><p>Kairi gasped, this time in horror, before she buried her reddening face in her hands. Sora laughed. It was a welcome break to have her with them, and they enjoyed her company. There was something oddly cheering about her presence, despite her tough background.</p><p>"Wow," Aerith marveled as she looked at their plates. Grilled mackerel with konbu salad, and miso soup. "The food here looks delicious! Much better than the ones in America."</p><p>"Eh? Really?" Sora blinked, taking a bite of the fillet."Is it bad?"</p><p>"I hear it's terrible." She said with a smile. "I've never actually stayed in one before though, so I don't know for sure. But..." She tilted her head slightly as she looked at the tiny plates. "Why so small?"</p><p>"We have to eat more small meals throughout the day. The nurses said it'll take a while before our intestines are working right again, so we have to eat a little bit at a time."</p><p>Aerith was quiet, giving them the chance to eat, though looked at Kairi's plate thoughtfully. Not only were the portions quite small, the foods themselves were very lean- not very helpful to a girl who had literally been starving the last few months. Not only that, Kairi could only seem to finish half her fish, drink down half of her soup, and call it a day. Now she took a breath, as if to brace herself, then forced a bite of the konbu salad.</p><p>Aerith tilted her head. "Is it that difficult to eat?" She asked gently.</p><p>Kairi nodded slowly as she chewed, waiting until she managed to swallow it down. "I don't really feel hungry yet. I have to make myself to eat."</p><p>Sora didn't say anything as he took a gulp of the miso. He was closer to finishing his meals, so knew he was on the fast road to recovery; but even before the accident, Kairi had never been a huge eater, so in retrospect, it wasn't a huge surprise her appetite didn't jump back right away. Still, it didn't make him feel any better. She definitely wasn't gaining <em>back</em> any weight at this rate. She still just looked like skin and bones.</p><p>"Well, it <em>has</em> only been a few weeks," Aerith contended. "I guess you're doing pretty well."</p><p>"Yeah. I can't wait until I can eat normally again." She sighed softly. "I'd like to take a shower without feeling exhausted."</p><p>Aerith hummed, putting a finger to her chin. "And you're going to need a lot of calories to get your strength back."</p><p>Kairi sighed. "I know. That's why I'm <em>trying</em> to eat more. The doctor said I should focus on getting my intestines to work again, <em>then</em> we can worry about eating and physical therapy."</p><p>"Can you eat foods not from the hospital?"</p><p>The pair looked at her curiously, then blinked at each other in question.</p><p>"Is that allowed?" Sora wondered.</p><p>"We could ask," Kairi suggested.</p><p>As it turned out, normally they could- so long as it fit the patient's dietary needs. However, given that Sora and Kairi could only handle certain foods right now, the nurse wasn't sure that would be allowed, in this case.</p><p>"What about protein shakes?" Aerith asked.</p><p>Sora had been about to translate, but the nurse's face lit up, recognizing the term instantly. She shook her hands and head quickly in denial. <em>"Kairi has already lost so much weight,"</em> she explained. <em>"We cannot risk her losing more."</em></p><p>Aerith laughed once Sora translated for her. "Oh no, not <em>those</em> kinds of shakes. Weight <em>gain</em> shakes. The ones body builders use to gain muscles."</p><p>Sora gaped at her for a second, floundering on how on <em>earth</em> he could translate that. "How does it make you <em>gain</em> weight?" He asked her.</p><p>"It has lots of calories. Body builders drink it before their workouts so they have lots of energy. Its what helps them build muscles. If Kairi's having trouble eating, maybe a shake with high calories will help her get back the weight she needs."</p><p>He was at least able to translate that, and the nurse seemed both surprised and amazed, having been as foreign to the concept as Sora and Kairi were. She thought about it carefully for a minute, before realizing that too much protein would still upset Kairi's stomach, and it would not be a good option for her right now.</p><p>"<em>But,"</em> she said, <em>"I can ask the doctor. He will be able to tell you when she can have something like that."</em></p><p>"Perfect." Aerith smiled. "Thank you."</p><p>As the nurse left, Sora and Kairi looked at each other, then back to the woman.</p><p>"Do you really think it'll help?"</p><p>"I'm not sure. Tifa knows more than I do about it. But I figure it couldn't hurt to ask."</p><p>It was almost an hour before the doctor came in. He was surprised at the sight of Aerith, asking if she was Sora's relative, but after a quick introduction, all was cleared.</p><p>"<em>Can she tell me more about these shakes?"</em> He asked Sora.</p><p>Sora translated, and Aerith shrugged. "I can try, though I'm not an expert."</p><p>They were relatively simple questions. He wanted to know what type of protein they were, if they were supposed to replace food, and if they were high in fats or sugars, like milkshakes. Aerith informed him that there were different kinds made of different proteins, and that they were meant to be supplements for athletes, not meal replacements. She didn't <em>think</em> they had a lot of sugars, but she did know that they had other vitamins and nutrients. He considered this information carefully, before reaching his verdict.</p><p>"For now, it would be safer to monitor her intake through food," he decided. <em>"But in about a month, she will be closer to eating normally again, and we won't have to worry as much. If you can find one that fits her diet, it should be fine."</em></p><p>"Great!" She whipped out her phone. "Tell me what's safe for her to eat."</p><p>He listed off foods they would need to avoid for a while- high-fiber foods that were more difficult to digest, and those that tended to cause bloating. Aerith was typing away in her phone to store the information.</p><p>"Perfect," she concluded once she finished. "I'm sure Tifa knows something that'll help."</p><p>"Aerith," Sora said once the doctor had left. "You really don't have to do all this."</p><p>"Yeah," Kairi piped up. "The hospital will take good care of me- there's no need to worry."</p><p>"I said I'd come up to watch after you, didn't I?" Aerith joked to Sora before turning to Kairi. "And it's no problem. Sora spent so long looking for you, we'd feel bad if we didn't help a little bit."</p><p>Sora blushed brilliantly and ducked his head away, missing Kairi's fond smile.</p><p>"So don't worry about it," Aerith concluded with a smile. "I'm happy to help."</p><p>The rest of her visit passed uneventfully. Kairi was curious to learn about her past and time in the army, and Aerith was more than happy to answer her questions. She even showed her some pictures of her beloved flower garden at home. When she left, she told Sora she expected Tifa to text him a brand of protein powder that would fit their needs.</p><p>"<em>I'm glad she came,"</em> Kairi admitted once she left. <em>"She was really nice."</em></p><p>"<em>Yeah. I just wonder how she expects us to get that shake stuff."</em> He admitted, wrinkling his nose as he looked at his phone. <em>"It's not like we can leave."</em></p><p>Kairi giggled. <em>"She probably means after you're cleared."</em></p><p>"<em>Ha. Yeah I guess."</em></p><p>The first couple weeks after surgery, staying in bed in the hospital was a welcome reprieve. The teens had to spend most of their time laying down and getting their strength back, so there wasn't much motivation to get out and about anyway.</p><p>After a few more weeks however, things were different.</p><p>They were stuck in the same room day in, and day out, with little stimulus. They began to spend more time sitting up in bed to talk to each other, and help Kairi walk around the room to get her limbs working again. But there were only so many times one could sing songs and quote Disney movies back at each other before it lost it's appeal.</p><p>So they watched TV. But there wasn't really anything exciting on.</p><p>Except dramas.</p><p>"<em>No!"</em> Kairi gasped dramatically, hands on her cheeks as she took in the sheer horror of what she was watching. <em>"How could he say such a thing to her? He loves her so much!"</em></p><p>"<em>Don't you see? It's </em><em><strong>because</strong></em><em> he loves her he has to say it!"</em> Sora argued, gesturing to the screen emphatically. <em>"He'd do anything to protect her- even if it means he can never see her again!"</em></p><p>"<em>But that's just so </em><em><strong>cruel</strong></em>!" She folded her hands demurely. <em>"They should be together! If he </em><em><strong>really</strong></em><em> loved her, then he'd find a way to stay by her side!"</em></p><p>"<em>And risk putting her in danger? </em><em><strong>Never</strong></em><em>!"</em> He turned away, hand over his heart. <em>"He'd rather </em><em><strong>die</strong></em><em> than see the one he loves hurt! It's the feelings of a man in love!"</em></p><p>"<em>But-"</em></p><p><em>Knock knock knock.</em> "Special Delivery for room 207."</p><p>"Cloud!" Sora exclaimed, jumping up from his spot and breaking character instantly. "What're <em>you</em> doing here?"</p><p>"Didn't you hear me?" He deadpanned, hoisting up the cubical cardboard box in his one hand. "I'm a delivery boy."</p><p>"Hey there!" Tifa crossed in front of him. "Is… everything alright? You guys sounded pretty upset."</p><p>"Oh we're fine, just watching TV." ("But it's so <em>saaaaaaaaad</em>!") "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"</p><p>"We figured we'd surprise you. Are you surprised?" She teased.</p><p>"<em>Oh</em> yeah! Boy, am I glad to see you. Kairi," he turned to her. "This is Cloud an' Tifa, the ones I told you about. Cloud, Tifa, meet Kairi."</p><p>"Hello." Tifa greeted. "Sora's told us a lot about you."</p><p>"He's told me about you too. I'm glad to finally meet you."</p><p>"Likewise! Is it alright if we get another chair in here?"</p><p>"Sure, I'll ask the nurse." She turned around to press the button behind her bed. When she leaned back, she watched Cloud as he approached, looking at the box he lay on her bedside table. "What's this?"</p><p>"Your present." He answered.</p><p>Tifa grinned. "Isn't it obvious? It's the protein powder you needed."</p><p>"Eh? You brought it?" She gaped as she looked at the box. "I completely forgot about it..."</p><p>"Yup! It's plant-based, with no sweetners and plenty of vitamins to help supplement your daily meals." She pat the box almost affectionately. "This one's in the mid-range on the calorie intake. Since you're not looking into heavy workouts, this one should be perfect to help you gain back some weight, without over doing it. It's not safe to bounce back <em>too</em> quickly."</p><p>"Oh my gosh, thank you! I don't know what to say!"</p><p>"Don't thank me- thank Aerith! It was her idea. But don't worry about it. Happy to help. Drink it every morning after breakfast, ok? It may not taste very good, but if you mix it with your milk, you should be able to swallow it down."</p><p>"Ok!"</p><p>The nurse came in, and Sora quickly asked her to bring in an extra seat. When she left, Sora noticed Tifa leaning over and looking him over thoughtfully, instantly making him feel self-conscious.</p><p>"...what?" He finally asked.</p><p>"Aerith mentioned you guys couldn't eat well after the surgery. I was afraid you might've lost some weight." She straightened up again. "But you seem alright."</p><p>"Oh yeah, we're good now," Sora assured. "We've gotten some of our appetite back."</p><p>"Good to hear. Maybe you should drink a few shakes for a bit, just to be safe."</p><p>"He'll be fine, Tifa," Cloud assured, and he sounded somewhat amused. "It's not like he's overdoing it in <em>this</em> place."</p><p>"Well, it doesn't hurt to worry," she argued. "He's already thin as it is."</p><p>Now, Sora had never cared about being thin before. (And really, in Japan that was the desired body type, even for men.) But now that he saw Tifa and Cloud in their tank tops, he was starting to see the problem. He was so used to seeing his friends in their army uniforms, he never really had the chance to see their body types before, but Cloud was ripped and defined, with large biceps and a clear-cut vision of strength. Tifa wasn't as large as him, but her arms and waist were thick, with toned muscles that clearly showed the strength rippling beneath.</p><p>Riku and Wakka had been strong like that too, always leaving Sora and Tidus in the dust. He looked down and poked at his own bicep, suddenly self-conscious. Kairi noticed.</p><p>"<em>You look fine, Sora,"</em> she assured.</p><p>Sora pursed his lips, not entirely convinced.</p><p>They sat and talked for a little while, the pair graciously answering some of Kairi's questions about the army and the US when the topic came up. Sora laid back and let them talk, glad for the break. He was happy to see Kairi each day, but truth be told it was exhausting trying to keep up his cheer day in and day out. He was happy to do it, knowing that her well-being was counting on it, but that didn't make it any less exhausting.</p><p>"Hey Cloud," Sora finally spoke up at one point. "How come you're just a private? Why aren't you a sergeant like the others?"</p><p>Sora wasn't an expert, but he'd been speaking with the others enough to know a <em>little</em> about the army and how it worked. A warrant officer was above an enlisted soldier, and given his age, Cloud should have been a sergeant like Leon and Aerith. He already knew Tifa enlisted late, so he wasn't confused about her.</p><p>"I was a deserter a few years back."</p><p>There was confusion from the pair, the Japanese people being unfamiliar with the term. "Deserter?" Sora frowned.</p><p>"It means he left the army," Tifa clarified. "He promised to help look after me when we were kids. He ended up skipping his deployment to do it."</p><p>"Oh..." Sora nodded in understanding.</p><p>"Ended up going to jail a couple years for it," Cloud confessed, arms crossed but otherwise fairly blasé about it. "And when I got back I got sent back to the bottom of the rung."</p><p>For a moment, Sora gaped, staring at Cloud in disbelief. So, this whole time, he was hanging out with an ex-criminal? And no one <em>told</em> him?</p><p>"So then I joined," Tifa grinned. "That way he can look after me without breaking any laws." She said with a wink.</p><p>Cloud smirked. "They didn't know what they were getting into. You wiped the floor with those sergeants."</p><p>"You can't blame them. It's not every day they get a world-class strongwoman as a new recruit."</p><p>Sora didn't seemed surprised, though he was a little confused. He knew she was strong already, but was she famous or something?</p><p>"World-class?" Kairi asked.</p><p>Instead of answering normally, Tifa grinned. "Wanna see me bench press Cloud?"</p><p>Kairi stared blankly, but Sora nodded excitedly. "She does! She definitely does!"</p><p>Cloud gave a long suffering sigh, but begrudgingly shifted out of his chair to comply. Kairi was completely lost, and utterly befuddled when Tifa lay on the floor at the foot of the hospital beds, and held up her arms as Cloud perched himself awkwardly over her hands. Both teens shifted to the foot of their beds, leaning over to watch. Cloud straightened and held himself rigid, and Tifa lowered and lifted him a few times with relative ease. Kairi gasped, and clapped automatically as she went into awe. Sora, who had already seen this, didn't clap, but grinned when he saw her reactions.</p><p>And a couple nurses, who had been passing outside and happened to see the spectacle, gaped at each other in awe. <em>"Those American women are amazing!"</em></p><p>Tifa finally lowered him and he crawled off her hands to let her get back up again. She gave a small bow in good fun, then clapped her bicep.</p><p>"I train my core muscles for some extra power. Entered competitions and everything! I'm not as big as I used to be, but I've still got some strength in me!"</p><p>Kairi's brows shot up. And then she squinted at Sora critically. Sora caught her look, then wagged his finger meaningfully.</p><p>"Don't even think about it."</p><p>Unfortunately, she was <em>definitely </em>thinking about it.</p><hr/><p>Hello hello everyone! Thank you for sticking with me so far! We are FINALLY nearing the end of this prologue so I can finally get to the good stuff! One more chapter, and then it's off we go! :D</p>
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